The Death and Life of Erza Scarlet
by Goshinzilla
Summary: Written by Greatkingrat88. At the tower of heaven, Erza died- only to find that death is only the beginning. In the soul society, Erza must now find her path as a shinigami, making new friends and enemies in the process. What does her presence change? More than one would think.
1. Death is a new begining

**Fairy Tail is property of Hiro Mashima and BLEACH is property of Tite Kubo. **

**A bit of information first. This story is a originally written by Greatkingrat88. He's a good friend of mine and I personally asked him to write this for me. I cant write a damn thing to save my life, but he's rather talented. However, since he didn't feel comfortable publishing this under his own profile, I decided to upload it to mine. I _DO_ have permission to do this, I asked him and he said it was fine.**

**That said, the plot and the story ideas are mine. I tell him to just write what I want in it, with his own personal style.**

**With that said, sit back, relax, and enjoy.**

* * *

This is a story about Erza Scarlet. It isn't the most ambitious of stories, nor is it the deepest, subtlest or most romantic. It is simply the modest tale of a hero, whose deeds were anything but modest, for in the end, they changed a whole world. Not dramatically, but gears were shifted- but I am getting ahead of myself. Let us return instead to the beginning, which is generally agreed to be a good place to start.

Natsu Dragneel carried Erza's limp body, walking out of the ocean. The tower of heaven had collapsed, and Jellal Fernandes' plans had been thwarted. His minions- Erza's childhood friends- would live on. The world would keep going, untainted by his dark magic. Zeref would not resurrect. Fairy Tail, and all its fellow guilds, would keep living, the end of the world as they knew it averted.

But Erza wouldn't.

It was the strangest thing, Erza thought- she could see herself, hovering above her own body. Natsu had the most tragic expression on his face, and all she wanted to do was to tell him she was fine, she was right there, he didn't have to worry…

But nothing she did, nothing she said, could reach the young man. Her body wasn't replying; her spirit remained unseen. There was a chain hanging from her chest, oddly enough, and she could fly- and moreover, her power, all of her might and magic, was gone.

She saw Natsu drop to his knees, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. She could see Lucy hurrying to his side, trying her best to console him. He seemed inconsolable, and there was something so _wrong_ about that- Natsu was always so cheerful, so happy; he shouldn't cry.

One by one, her body, cradled by Natsu as it grew colder and colder, was joined by the rest- by Gray, by Juvia, Happy, all of her childhood friends. She wanted to tell them she was right there, that everything was all right- but everything wasn't all right at all, she could tell that much even in her state.

With time Erza would become known as one of the greatest heroes Fairy Tail had ever known. In recognition of her prowess, skill and renown, she was posthumously named one of the Ten Wizard Saints, the highest title a mage could be given in Fiore. Her guild would dedicate one day every year to her memory, a tradition lasting beyond even their deaths. Erza Scarlet had left a mark on the world so much greater than the small slave girl she had once been could have possibly imagined.

Erza herself, of course, would never see any of this, because three days after her death, a man in black, baggy clothes put the hilt of his sword to her forehead, and then everything went black. In one short instance she felt herself ascending, and it panicked her to realize she was losing her memories of her dear friends- but the panic soon passed, as did the soul of Erza Scarlet.

* * *

Erza slowly opened her eyes. Slowly, she grabbed at her chest, and found that there was no chain there. Quickly, she sat up. Did this mean she was alive? Quickly, she looked around. Well, this wasn't home- she was sitting in a forest, open with plenty of space between its green, leafy trees. To her left, she could see a small stream; to her right, more forest. Slowly, she stood up.

"Where am I?" She mumbled. She nearly fell over, stumbling- she felt sick, as if she was just coming out of a fever. She put her hand against the stem of a tree, waiting for it to pass, her head hanging, looking into the ground. What- what had happened just now?

_"Time to pass on, girl,"_

It… it had been some sort of person in black. And she hadn't wanted to go- her friends still needed her. And then…

_"No!"_ she cried. _"No, I can't leave! You can't make me!"_ She lashed out against the man in black, trying to push him away- but her power was almost all gone. She was so weak…

Gently but firmly, the man took her by the arm. _"You're a strong one. You'll be all right."_

And then, he had gently put the hilt of his sword against her forehead, and then… this.

* * *

Slowly, she raised her head again. This… was the afterlife? Erza had never had much of any religion- she hadn't been raised into one; Fairy Tail wasn't exactly a pious guild- and she herself had been too busy with real life stuff, like work, friends, just_ life_ to want to go soul searching. But she had known _about_ religion, and this didn't match anything she knew. Which, admittedly, wasn't much- but she would have expected fluffy clouds and happiness and bliss, not just… a forest.

Oh, damn- _Fairy Tail_. That… what was that? Suddenly, she tried to take all she could about it in, but like a person waking from a dream, the memories slipped away- like they were dreams and only dreams. Names- Lucy, Natsu, Wendy, Jellal, Makarov- names, so many names, vanishing from her memory, and she felt like she could cry. Focusing as much as she could, she tried burning their faces into her memory- she had come from Fairy Tail, whatever Fairy Tail was, and… there had been a young man with fiery red hair, a young woman with blond hair, a young girl with black hair and an innocent look, talking cats, a really old man… oh, and there were more, but she couldn't_ remember_

Erza shook her head, standing up. The feeling of nausea had passed, only to be replaced by a deep sense of loss- she had been lost to some people important to her, and she in turn had lost them. Almost.

But Erza Scarlet- that was her name, she remembered that much- wasn't one to dwell. Looking forward, she decided that since she was apparently dead, but quite fit otherwise, there was no point in sitting down and crying. She had lost her precious people- so she would just have to find them again. It would be a long term goal.

With that decided, she looked around. Civilization was nowhere in sight, and she had no idea where she was. Well, that just meant there was another problem that needed solving.

Another problem, she decided, was what she was wearing. She had hoped she would have passed on with what she wore when she died- armour, well-made clothes- but what she actually wore looked more like… rags. A singular piece of cloth, of indeterminate colour, which barely covered what modesty demanded. Not that Erza was a stickler for modesty, but it was… less than optimal. She had always had nice forms ever since she hit her upper teens, but right now, that wasn't an asset.

Sighing, she began walking further into the forest. She had no idea where to go, or where she was, but doing something was always better than doing nothing. After a small while, she stopped by a small stream, deciding that a drink of water might do her good. Did she even need to, now that she was dead? No matter. Slowly, Erza stepped into the water. It was a shallow stream, the water stopping just below her knees. Bending over, Erza cupped her hands, and scooped up some water.

And then, right as she was drinking, she heard it. A whistle. It was a very particular kind of whistle- not just a merry tune, but the low, elaborate, drawn out wolf whistle of a man. She'd heard it back when she was alive, she was sure- and this was the same. Slowly, she turned around. And there, just fifteen or so yards away, stood three men, grinning with the typical kind of leer that a certain kind of men all seemed to have. They all wore worn-down clothes, but they had colour, mainly blue- quite the difference between her own rags.

"Looks like we got ourselves a new arrival," one of them said as Erza stepped out of the water, viewing them with suspicion, "and a real cutie at that."

"Who are you?" Erza asked.

"The boss'll be real happy about this." Another of the men said, ignoring her. "He could use a tumble by now."

"So could we." The first one said.

"Excuse me?" Erza said incredulously.

"Allow me." The man in front said, apparently the one in charge. "You're dead. So're we. This is the afterlife- the Soul Society. Now, these particular lands belong to boss Hoku. Anyone new's gotta answer to him. So why don't you come with us, and we'll… give you the full explanation, eh?"

"How about _no_?"

"Oh, this one's got fire!" The second man said, chuckling. "Lemme get this one straight: Our boss owns this place. We work for him. That means we own _you_." He stepped forward, extending a hand towards her. "So don't be a bitch about it. We're just going to have some fun-"

And as he tried to grab her, Erza reached out, grabbing his arm first, and then she _twisted_, and before she knew how it even happened, the man was on the ground, screaming with pain.

"My fuckin' arm!" He cried. "She broke my fuckin' arm!"

"That's it." The lead man said coldly, taking out a whip. "The hard way it is, eh?" He extended it, swinging the whip around, lashing it forward. It wrapped around her neck, hard- She couldn't breath.

But the thing about a weapon like this, she realized, was that if you kept your footing and just pulled, it could just as easily be turned around.

So she grabbed the whip, digging her feet into the ground, and _pulled_, and suddenly the man was stumbling forward, having lost his footing. Reacting quickly, she hopped forward, slamming a fist into his solar plexus- then again, for good measure. He didn't lose his footing, although he probably wished he had, because she wasn't letting up. Quickly, she grabbed him by the neck, and there was power about her rising, rising as she slammed her fist into his jaw. This time, he dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, leaving only one man with a look on his face like he'd just seen a ghost.

Or something of the like.

Erza began removing the whip, which was still coiled around her neck. Her blood was pumping; she felt furious- but at the same time, curious and a little bit confused. She had beaten down those two men on pure instinct, and it had been easy. She knew how to do this. In life, she had to have been a fighter of some sort. That was one clue.

And what was this power about her? She could feel it radiating, pulsing…

"P-please!" The third man begged, now on his knees. "I'll do anything! Just don't- don't kill me-"

"I don't kill." Erza said. "But…" She stopped, and an idea came to her. "Why don't we trade clothes?"

"Got it!"

One trade later, Erza wore a kimono, much roomier and more comfortable, coloured a light blue. Worn, but quite decent. Normally, she would feel bad about forcing others to give up their clothes, but given what they had tried to do, there was little sympathy to be had.

"Now, I want to know where I am." She said.

"Information! Sure!" The man nodded enthusiastically. "Anything you want, you got it!"

"You can start with where I am, where I can find people, and… well, anything about this place, really."

So the all too eager informant began talking, and Erza listened. This place really was the afterlife- 'Soul Society', but apparently nobody knew if there was any god involved. And apparently it was a lot like real life, except with more poverty, lawlessness and cruelty. So much for bliss.

And more importantly, this was the forty-sixth district, which was ruled by some warlord, who ruled through a number of underbosses too. There was a village nearby, too- always a something.

And most interesting of all, what she had felt surging was called "reiatsu"- spiritual power. Some had very little or none at all, and apparently she had plenty, or so that man said.

And at the heart of this Soul Society were the strongest, the shinigami, working under the "Gotei Juusantai". It was them who passed unwilling souls on to the afterlife, and it was they who fought the monsters- "hollows". She had asked what a hollow was, and the man had shuddered- the most she got was that they wore white masks and ate people. Which was plenty, to be honest.

Finally, she decided that that was enough information. After getting some directions from the terrified thug, she headed down the path, towards the village.

The village itself wasn't too hard to find; just a few miles worth of walking. She found herself wishing she had shoes, but wishes were pointless- she had what she had, which was essentially nothing but worn clothes.

The village, when she came up to it, was better than what she had expected. There were fields around it, rife with green plants- whoever lived here probably farmed, it seems. And inside the village, she could see booths, vendors- mainly they seemed to sell water, but some sold food, or even tools. Humanity seemed to be mostly the same even in death. It was reassuring, somehow, to know that life went on. In a manner of speaking.

She walked up the main street of the village, looking around as she trod down the dirt road. There were people everywhere- children playing, adults going about their business. It was bizarre how much like life death was, but here it was. But to focus on herself, what to do next- she needed a place to stay. She was, she realized, homeless, and that was no way to spend your afterlife. She looked around again, this time looking for somebody who might know his (or her) way around this village. Settling for a man peddling vegetables of some sort, she walked up to him in quick stride.

"Excuse me-" She began, but the man- who looked middle aged, and a little better dressed than most- recoiled.

"I- I already paid you people off!" He said, looking uneasy. "I don't got anymore for you, not till next week."

Erza blinked. "What?"

"You got ell your boss I'm workin' hard to pay my share, all right? I don't want no trouble."

Erza felt confused, but then it dawned on her: the clothes. She had taken hers off a gang member of some sort, and…

"I'm not one of them." She assured him. "Whoever 'them' are. I got this off some man who tried something on me he shouldn't have."

The man looked baffled. "You- you stole off one of the blue lizards gang?"

"Well, not stole." Erza objected. "He gave it to me after I beat his three friends up."

"You…" the man began, sounding shocked, "you _beat up_ three gangers on your own. Unarmed."

"Yes."

He shook his head. "Either you're lying to me, or this is horrible news for all of us. They don't take kindly to being humiliated, and if it happened close to us…"

"They were pretty weak, though." She clenched her fist, feeling for the power inside her. "I could probably take them if they came again."

"Yeah, maybe." The man mumbled. "But between you and me, wearing those colours'll make people think you're one of those thugs. If I were you, I'd keep low, and get some new clothes."

Erza frowned. This was no good- if those people came back and wound up hurting the rest of the village, it would be her fault. "Where should I go? I don't really have a change of clothes, or any money."

"Fresh arrival, are you?" He shook his head, mumbling to himself. "Head to that house down the street," he pointed his finger towards a run-down house, with a flaking coat of white paint. "and go talk to old man Getsu. He'll point you in the right direction."

"Thanks." She said, but the trader seemed to be trying hard not to notice her. Taking a hint, she headed down towards the house. It really looked rather worn down- empty windows, door hanging off one hinge, and enough paint coming off that the general grey of the wood underneath it was quite visible. Cautiously, she walked in. It was no less of a shanty in there- the roof was low, she could see a broken iron pipe lying on the floor, and the floorboard had cracks, but she had seen worse.

"Hello?" She said, in general to whoever might be in there. "Hello?" She said again, a little louder. There didn't seem to be anyone around.

But appearances were, as they often are, deceiving.

"Who is it?" Came the voice of on old man, frail and quiet. "I ain't got time for this nonsense. Who is it?"

"Uhm, hello." Erza said, taking a good look at the man as she turned around to face him. He wore a simple kimono, which had probable been white once upon a time, but at this point looked more like dirt mixed with textile. He had a short white beard, and a bald head, and more wrinkles than… well, something very wrinkly; she couldn't think of a proper metaphor. "I just came here today. I uh, just died recently, and then I came to this village and this man pointed me here…" she trailed off.

The man nodded. "New arrival, is it? I'm too kind for my own good- but I'll let you stay here if you can provide for yourself. Got any skills, girl?"

"It's Erza. Erza Scarlet."

"And I am just Getsu." He nodded. "So what can you do?"

"Well…" She hadn't had much of an education, or to her recollection learned any profession. "I'm good at punching things. I beat up some thugs earlier today, and it was pretty easy."

The old man- Getsu- gave her a scrutinizing look. "Take a seat, girl. I want to have a close look at you."

Obliging, Erza sat down on the floor. Getsu wasn't exactly tall, she realized- the roof, which was low for her, seemed to be plenty for him.

The old man moved in close, inspecting her. She saw his eyes- white; the man was probably at least half blind. He placed his hand on her chest, and for a second she thought she might have to give him a beating too- but then he moved it to her forehead, and her neck, as if feeling for something.

"Power." He mumbled. "You're strong, no doubt about that."

"How strong?" She asked. "I think I was pretty strong back when I lived- can't remember it too well, though."

"Same for all of us." He mumbled. "We come here, not remembering most of what we were or who we are. But some of us come here strong, like you."

"Some don't?"

"Most people come here not even needing food, 'cause they got so little spirit they can feed off the land itself." Getsu explained, still examining her, "and only a few come here with enough spirit that they need to eat to live on. Even fewer are actually strong." He stood back, looking at her. "Yes, that will do. You stick around in case some scoundrel tries to steal from me. And when they don't, you do chores. In exchange, you get food and a place to sleep. Sound good?"

"Deal." It was a start, at least. "What was that just now, with you touching me?"

"Feelin' for spirit. I can feel it- just ain't very good at it."

"Why can't I feel it?" She wondered. "If I'm so strong…"

"You're practically a newborn. You don't know anything- yet." Getsu shrugged. "Some people are way strong, but can't sense power. What matters is if you can use it. Can you?"

"Yes." She said, not knowing how true that was. Still, thinking too hard about it wouldn't help.

"Good. Now-"

Then suddenly, he was interrupted, as Erza heard some commotion from outside- shouts and cries, the sound of something crashing. Quickly, she headed to the door, looking out. There they were- six, seven, eight people just like the kind she had beaten outside the village, walking around, knocking over booths, hitting people who got too close.

Damn.

The vegetable peddler had been right. And there were quite a few out there, too- all because of her. Quickly, she looked around. She had to find something, some sort of weapon- she couldn't fight them with just her fists.

Fight them. It struck her, in this bizarre moment where time seemed to slow, that she had already decided to fight them all, even though they were so many more, even though it was dangerous. It had come naturally to her. Was that who she had been in life? A warrior? Somebody who would fight for a living?

And then as quickly as the moment had come, it passed, and Erza looked around frantically. Anything would do- a piece of wood, a knife- or… an iron pipe. Lying there on the floor, broken in half, as if only waiting to be picked up and used to bludgeon people. Quickly she grabbed it, weighing it in her hand. It was heavy, long enough to use as a club, and not too rusty. It would do. Pipe in hand, she marched out of the house, into the street. As she saw the thugs, the destruction they had wrought- tools and items broken, goods ruined, people cowering in fear- she felt an anger rise inside of her, and with it some measure of power. It was a strange sensation, but she paid it no mind- how it worked was a question for later.

"Hey!" She cried out, stopping before the gang of hooligans. When they kept going, apparently ignoring her, she raised her voice. "I said, HEY!"

Finally, one of them- a nasty-looking man with a bald head and a scar on his forehead, with the kind of look that reminded her of a lean, flea-ridden tomcat, looked at her, and whistled. His followers stopped, each one looking towards her now.

"Well, lookie here." He said. "Looks like we don't have to tear this shithole up anymore. We got our thief right here, boys."

There was a chorus of approving grunts, and some cat calls too.

"You know," Erza began, "I just beat up three of you easily, just a couple of hours ago. You don't want this."

The man spat, then chuckled. "See, if you really was tough, you'd just have taken us. You givin' us the 'chance' to back away, and that tells me you're scared. You don't think you can do this. Ain't that right, boys?"

There was an approving murmur from the rest of them, and the lot of them brandished whatever weapons they had- sticks, clubs, the odd knife, or just their fists. They looked so typical- tough, lean, muscular, with a look in their face that said that yeah, they'd sell their grandmother for a dime. They might as well have tattooed "enforcer" on their foreheads.

But of course, image was just that- image. She'd fought enough people to know that appearances could be deceiving- and that this kind of thug didn't have much in the way of morale.

Wait, how did she know that?

"Who are you people? What do you want?" She said, hoping to stall. Stall for what exactly, she wasn't sure.

"We're the Blue Lizards." The leader said, looking grim. "I'm Taku, and I answer directly to boss Hoku. And you," he said, pointing at her, "are a thief and a rebel. And we don't take kindly to rebels- let one weed start, an' they just keep spreading."

"Well, good that's clear. I wouldn't want to mistake you for the turquoise frogs." Erza mumbled. "Your men tried to take me- said they owned me. So I beat them. And I didn't steal anything."

"Funny." Taku said. "You took those clothes- and you resisted."

"I didn't want to go." Erza said sternly.

"What you want doesn't matter." Taku said, taking out a knife. "Lizards rule this place, and if we want something, it's ours."

"That's not how it works!"

"It does around here."

Well, it was official: the afterlife was decidedly worse than life. "Not anymore." She said resolutely. "You're going to leave this village, and you're not going to come back. That's your one chance, right here."

"Or you'll what, rough us up a bit with that purdy little pipe?" One of the thugs said.

"Yes."

"Cute." Taku said. "No, we'll just kill ya- and then, we'll teach this place a lesson."

"You really don't want to do this." She said, and she wasn't sure _she_ wanted to do this.

"You, get her." Taku said, nodding to one of his thugs, a burly man with a crude pair of brass knuckles.

"Got it."

And as he approached her, Erza let herself go, letting her instinct alone guide her, routine practiced into the very marrow of her bones from the time when she had been alive.

And then, as the man charged forward, fist raised, she dodged the first swing, then grabbed the pipe with both hands, and slammed it into the side of his chest. She could feel her power surging, and for a fleeting moment she felt like she could control herself- not just control what she did, but every cell in her body…

And then, the thug went flying, slamming into a house wall fifteen feet away. He let out a pained groan, and stayed down.

Taku raised an eyebrow. "Damn."

"I told you," she said, her breath deep and ragged- this power was really taxing- "you don't want to do this."

"All at once, boys." Taku gestured, advancing with his knife out. As one, the eight remaining bandits began to advance, carefully and with their weapons raised, spreading out.

Quickly, Erza looked around. The street had lots of open room. Good- so long as she didn't get surrounded, she could do this. Probably. Deciding to take the initiative, she hopped forward, charging the closest thug. He raised his club, trying a simple feint, but she read him perfectly, and with a simple sidestep, he missed completely. Counterattacking, she slammed her pipe into his gut, and as he bent over with a wheeze, she could feel her own power venting into it. Quickly, she lashed out to the side, slamming the weapon into the skull of another thug. There was a gratifying thud as it connected, and he fell over, quite unconscious.

But that still left five, and they were coming at her now, trying to weigh her down. Just one second more, and they'd have done it. Quickly, Erza somersaulted forward, moving out of range. In one smooth movement, she was on her feet again, spinning around to face them. Not letting herself take the time to feel amazed at this skill- she had forgotten she knew how to do that- she faced them again, hopping forward, kicking high. Her foot slammed into the chest of one of the thugs, sending him staggering back, and as the next came in, she caught his weapon- a thick wooden branch- with her pipe, and slammed a fist into his throat. Clutching at his neck, the man went down on his knees, and Erza kicked him for good measure, before hopping back.

"Well," she said, spinning her pipe around, "that's three down, and you haven't even touched me."

They were still moving now, but with much less certainty, much less confidence. Maybe, just maybe…

"How about you, Taku?" She said, looking the man in the eyes. "You're in charge here. Shouldn't you be on point?"

"You _are_ the toughest here, boss." One of the thugs behind him said.

"Shut it!"

"Well, if you won't…" Erza said calmly, suddenly feeling no more hesitation, "then I will." With that she sprung forward, furiously hacking at Taku. The man parried with his knife, but she had a hand free, and grabbed him by the wrist. She pulled, hard, and suddenly Taku was overbalanced. Before he could recover, Erza slammed the pipe into his back, then into his head for good measure. In the corner of her eye, she could see another man coming in from behind, and instinctually, she lashed out, hitting hard- and he dropped like a sack of potatoes, the air knocked out of his lungs.

Now there were only three left.

"Well, you still want to do this?"

"Bloody hell…" one of them murmured.

"Leave." Erza said resolutely. "Take your friends with you, and leave. And don't come back!"

"Who _are_ you?" The man mumbled fearfully.

"You can call me Titania." She said, feeling… oddly triumphant; that name too was hers. Somehow. "And this place belongs to me now. Go tell your boss that.

"You're mad!" he cried, as he and the two remaining thugs hurried away, their bruised comrades following as best they could. "The boss'll get you for this!"

Erza breathed a sigh of relief as she watched them disappear into the distance. Slowly, people came out again from out their houses, a look of awe, fear and, for some, cheer in their eyes. Erza smiled. She really was a fighter, after all- and protecting these people, it felt good.

Then, out of nowhere, things went black, and she collapsed.

* * *

She woke up, lying on a cot in the worn down house, the old man watching over here.

"What…" she murmured, sitting up. Her head ached, and there was a burning in her muscles, her whole body.

"You used up too much spirit at once." Getsu explained. "When you have a lot of it and you don't know how to use it, that can happen easily."

"But I'll be all right?"

"Oh, I should say so." He nodded. "You just need a bit of rest. Don't overdo it before you can control it, though- run out of it, and you might die."

"Oh." She mumbled. That would be no good- she had only just gotten here.

"Still, you're all right. The villagers seem appreciative enough, although they're a bit hesitant- the mess was, technically, your fault."

"I didn't mean to-"

"You did good." The old man said, nodding approvingly. "Welcome to the Soul Society, Erza Scarlet. You'll do just fine."

* * *

**Well, there you have it. This is just the first chapter of "The Death and Life of Erza Scarlet." and I have to say, im pleased with the results. First and foremost, I want to thank Greatkingrat88 once again for writing this for me, I do appreciate it to finally have the story I dreamed of placed onto this site.**

**I also want to take a moment and thank YOU, the reader, for taking your time to read this story. It really means a lot to me that people want to give this a shot and I just want you to know that I appreciate it.**

**However, if there are any issues you find with this story, PLEASE tell me in your review. I cant fix problems in my plot if I don't know they exist. Anything at all helps.**

**Speaking of reviews, Id much appreciate it if you gave me your thoughts on the story thus far. Regardless of if it gets a lot of reviews or not however, this story WILL continue to be updated at a MINIUM of once a month. **

**Now many chapters have already been written in advance, but eventually, im going to run out, and greatkingrat is a busy man, so we wont be able to update more than that once things catch up.**

**Also, feel free to ask me any and all questions you have. Ill ****be more than happy to answer them in PMs if they don't contain heavy spoilers**

**But again, thank you for reading and I sincerely hope you enjoy this.**


	2. New life, New enemies

**Fairy tail Belongs to Hiro Mashima, Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. I own nothing. **

**A special thank you to GreatKingRat88 for writing this for me. **

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this. Please feel free to leave a review.**

Something like two weeks had passed since Erza's arrival in the afterlife, and she was adapting as well as could be expected under the circumstances. She still missed what she had lost, her old life with all the people it had entailed, but she was still doing well. The village, after its initial suspicion to her, had quickly warmed up to the idea of protection against bandits, and though they seemed to regard her with some caution, she was… welcome here. It felt good to think that whatever she had been in the past, she was doing some good here and now.

Not that she had had to do much heavy lifting- the bandits of the Blue Lizard gang hadn't been in touch since she had beaten their enforcers down so thoroughly; all had been relatively peaceful. So far, Erza hadn't had much to do- aside from practicing with her iron pipe (even with her lack of a real sword, it was fairly efficient), the most she did was help bring in the crops.

That was what she was doing right now, holding a big basket of corn. The afterlife was so absurdly like real life; who would ever have thought that spiritual matter would take the shape of corn?  
Erza's musing were interrupted by a group of cheering little children, surrounding her as she walked back from the field and towards the village. As much as the adults were hesitant to accept her, the children were not- she was something like a hero to them, after that day she first arrived. She didn't mind it much.

"Hey sis!" One of them cheered, a black-haired little tyke. "You going back to the village? Can we come along?"

"Yes, you should." She nodded. "It's not safe for little children to be wandering about outside the village, you know that.

"Humbug!" Another kid exclaimed, beaming with pride that he knew such an adult word. "We'll be fine. If a bad man comes, you'll whack him really hard, won't you? Everyone's afraid of you, sis!"

"Mhmm…" She murmured. People were indeed afraid; not something she liked to be reminded of. Still, he was just a child, and she couldn't hold it against him. "Of course I will. I won't let anybody hurt you, you hear?"

The children smiled, laughing.

"But," she said, deliberately sounding strict, "don't make my job harder by endangering yourselves. You should be with your parents, shouldn't you?"

"Y-yes, sis." One of them stuttered.

"Good." She smiled, dropping that act. "Now run along- I have work to do."

Giggling, the children ran off to do whatever- somehow, she doubted all of them would run straight to their parents.  
It was funny how that worked- as it turned out, it seemed almost nobody found their actual relatives in the afterlife- which took most of the joy out of afterlife to begin with- but people still formed families. With no memories of their parents, these children had all found foster parents, most of which were just as loving as any parent should be. Sad as it was that people did not seem to find each other after death, the bonds of affection still existed. It was heartening.

This afterlife was… quite tolerable. She had expected much more, but what she had right now made her feel content- to a degree, at least. She still couldn't remember her old life, where she had come from, what friends she had had- only that she had been very happy, and that she had treasured those she left behind.  
What had it been like, she wondered? Had she had a lover, a husband who she left mourning? Children? Well, not likely- but there were friends. A lot of them, she was sure. It was the strangest feeling, to miss something you couldn't even remember.

Still, this was… okay. She made a difference here. She kept people safe. That was enough. One day she would go out, find out anything she could about this world, find out what connection there was to the world of the living- she had heard there was a place called the court of souls, where shinigami lived, where there was information; she might start there. But for now, she was needed here.  
Lost in thought, she walked back to old man Getsu's place.

The old man was busy muttering to himself, a quirky habit that Erza suspected had to do with his age- strange, but harmless.

"Are you all right, old man?" She said quietly, trying not to startle him.

"You!" He said, looking up. "You're late." She wasn't, not exactly, but she humored him.

"Sorry. The kids tagged along, and you know how they are."

"They followed you outside the village? So stupid- it's not safe." He muttered.

"Well, there's not much I can do about it. I'm not their mother." She said, shrugging. "What's so dangerous, anyway? There's no bandits around, and I haven't even seen one of those, what were they called, hollows since I got here."

Getsu looked her right in the eye, and there was steel there, different from the tired old man from just a moment ago. "You wonder what's 'so dangerous'? You never did see a hollow- so you wouldn't understand."

"I could try." Erza said, frowning. People here were terrified of them; they'd avoid speaking about them as if the mere mention would summon them there. Grown men would tremble at the thought of one appearing, and Erza never understood.

"Then listen carefully." Getsu said. "Exterminating them is a shinigami's job, but out here, they don't always come in time- if they come at all. So we live in fear of the hollows, and hide whenever one comes near."

"Are they all the same?" She asked curiously.

"No." Getsu shook his head. "Some are huge. Some're smaller, but all are much bigger and stronger than us. And when you see one face to face…" he trailed off, a look of dread on his face.

"They're scary?"

"When you see one face to face, it's pure malice bearing down on you. So much power, only wanting to kill you for food, and there's nothing you can do about it. Those big white, bony masks, those red eyes- it's a living nightmare." He shuddered.

"Did you ever do that? See one up close, I mean?"

"I- yes." The old man said hesitantly. "I don't like to talk about it- but if it helps you realize what they are, then…" He stared out into space, falling silent for a little while. "I was young, only a few years in this afterlife. This same village- but not the same people."

"Were they killed?"

"Not all of them, not then." He said, looking pained. "But… it was one night, when we all were asleep, when I heard a noise- a scream. Me and a friend headed out to see what it was- and down the street it was, bigger than a bull, long, bony head with big sharp teeth- and it was chewin' on a little girl. My friend, he-" he choked up, just slightly, before continuing, "he tried to help. He hit the hollow. Then it hit him back, and he went down. Then… I saw him being eaten. It just stood there, eating my friend without a care in the world, and I was paralyzed. I was sure I'd die- but when it was done, it just gave me a look and walked away." He shuddered again, and there was a tear in his eye. "They're real monsters, Erza, and if we don't have help from the shinigami, there's nothing we can do. Don't ever fight them- we can't lose you."

"…I see." She said, feeling moved.

"Promise me. It's too dangerous- you're strong, but they are so much stronger. Promise!"

"I promise." Erza said reassuringly. The old man's tale was… pitiable, and she felt for him- but somehow, she felt unafraid. It was as if she was used to this sort of thing- had she been some kind of monster hunter before?

"These shinigami, though," she asked, "what do you mean they sometimes don't come?"

"They come only if they are close enough. And even then, there's usually time for a hollow to do whatever he pleases."

"Shouldn't they be your protectors?"

"What they should be and what they are, are different things." Getsu said glumly. "They don't seem to care much- too busy guarding noble lands, I bet."

Erza frowned. Some protectors they were- but then again, maybe she didn't know everything she needed to know.

* * *

Some time later, after a quick lunch, Erza headed out to a small glade not far from the village. Even though she still had only an iron pipe for a weapon, even though she had nobody to spar with, she still needed to train somehow- to keep fit, to hone (or remember) whatever skills she had. Without delaying, she began stretching, exercising- jogging, training her muscles, doing pushups, even testing the weight and strength of her iron pipe as if it were a sword. One hour, two hours passed, and soon she was covered in sweat, her muscles burning. It was a good pain, the kind that signaled progress. Finally having had enough, she tumbled down in a sitting position, sitting herself cross-legged against a tree, closing her eyes. Relaxing herself, she began to meditate, reflecting on what had happened to her so far- and who she was, who she had been. It was still a mystery; no luck yet.

Yet, she could feel herself growing… stronger, stronger every day. Right now, when it was quiet, her body worn out and her eyes closed, it was almost as if- for lack of a better word- she could see it, see the power that made her so strong. Reiatsu. Reiryoku. Spiritual matter, making up her very being just like atoms- and there was such a large pool of it forming. When first she had come here, she had barely been able to feel it at all, burning so much energy at once, but slowly she was beginning to control it. It was like a valve, a tap controlling the flow of water- only the water, in this case, was like a bursting river, and she was barely holding it back. And she still had no idea whether she was strong or weak. Strong, compared to the lowly endowed villagers, certainly, but compared to a shinigami? A hollow?

As she sat there, the image of her power formed in her mind- like a big blue ball of wibbly, wobbly, spiritual-ish… stuff. All hers to use if she could just refine it, control it-

And then her concentration was broken. There had been a rustling in the bushes, something small. Carefully, she extended her reiatsu, letting it clash with the reiatsu all around her, reading it. Small, in size and shape- probably a child. Smirking, she grabbed at the ground until she found a small pebble, hurling it right at the reiatsu source. There was a small cry, and Erza opened her eyes. From behind a bush, rubbing his head, came one of the children who had been following her around- Kitsu, a black-haired little boy.

"It's not very polite to spy on a lady, you know." She said, pretending to be stricter than she really felt.

"S-sorry, sis." The boy said awkwardly, rubbing his head. "It's just that- you're uh, you're really cool and I wanted to see how you train to fight."

"Then ask." She said, sounding friendlier. "I sensed you- you can't hide."

"I hid up until now." The boy said cheekily, now relaxed enough to smile. She wasn't really upset- the children around here were, for the most part, not terrible to be around.

"Well, you run away now." She said, getting up to her feet. "I'm heading back now, and you really shouldn't be out here- it's not safe, they say."

"Pfft." The boy said. "They're just afraid. They're not strong like you, sis."

"Listen to your mother and father." She said, trying to sound stern- in a not too convincing manner.

The child nodded, running off, in all likeliness not the least bit deterred from wandering outside the relative safety of the village- and right now, wasn't it safe? Erza was not one to beat her own drum, but if the bandits in the area were anything like the one she beat when she came here, then her village would be quite safe- and hollows; people were terrified of them, but how often did they really come? Could she not fight that kind of monster, too?

Lost in thought, Erza decided it was enough training for the day, wandering aimlessly around the nearby forest- a walk was a good way to round off training, and she didn't quite feel like going back just yet.  
She walked for something like perhaps half an hour, not straying into territory she didn't know yet- getting lost would be pretty bothersome- slowly letting her muscles relax.

Finally getting hungry, she decided to head back- there'd be dinner of a kind soon. But then, as she was walking past a hill, she felt something- something strange, like a mild tug, like a reiatsu source; something different. This was new- and whatever it was, it was just past that hill. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she decided that her meal could wait just a little longer, leisurely strolling up the hill, trying her best to sense this strange source of energy. She still wasn't very good- she could only get a very rough sense of what the reiatsu looked like; her range was pretty poor. But as she came closer, there was a feeling of unease in her gut, getting stronger as she approached the hill's top, stronger and stronger- something distressing, and it was this source of reiatsu. It was different, and felt… wrong, somehow. Moving with a bit more caution, she got to the hill top, standing next to a tree. Carefully, she looked around, and very soon she saw it.

It was chilling; the shock registering before anything else. Down there was a long, reptilian creature with lanky, long legs with spikes jutting out here and there, a big bulky body, and… although its back was turned on her, she saw it- the white. It had a mane of fur, but past it there was a bone-like collar of bleached white. Most of all, there was power- power, raw malevolent power radiating from it; she felt it now, strands of reiatsu washing over her like wind. It was as if the creature was entirely unconcerned with who might find it, who might see it- it was ill-intended ease of a kind that only a predator would exude, and she knew- she knew, seeing it there- that it had to be a hollow.  
Gone was her confidence, her ignorant presumption of fighting- this was a monster, and it radiated power she couldn't compete with. Sinking to her knees, hugging the tree, she looked, unable to run, move forward or raise and arm in offense or defense.

The creature, looking like some strange amalgam of a lizard and a lion, was feasting on a deer- a small meal, because it was the size of a small house. Its white mask was covered in blood, guzzling down the dead animal, skin, bone, teeth and sinew along with the meat. After finishing up, it lazily stretched its limbs, and then looked around. It looked away from her, and Erza prayed, hoped, it would leave. For a moment it looked like it would- but then it turned its head towards her, and Erza could see its face- a big, white mask, triangular in shape, with two short horns. Big teeth, looking like a human's- but so wrong, so big, like a perversion of the real thing. She felt its aura more than ever before, and she realized what she felt was terror, being faced with a monster so much stronger.

And then, it said,  
_"I feel you, little soul." _

Its voice was an amused tone of assurance and mild interest, malevolent like a predator looking down on a mouse. Finally breaking the spell, Erza got to her feet, and started running, running, running- she ran, back toward the village, fast as her legs could carry her, until her lungs ached from the exertion. Once she saw the village again, she finally slowed down. She hadn't been pursued, she saw- she could feel nothing, nothing coming for her. Sinking to her knees, she sat down, exhausted, physically and emotionally. That… that was a hollow, a monster, and it was strong- stronger than her? What could she- what could she possibly do? How could she possibly be so vain as to think she could protect anybody, when a monster like that existed?

But as she sat there trembling, it was as if she could see a face, in her head- a cocky face, belonging to a young man with red hair. It was saying nothing, but it looked confident, unafraid- and Erza felt for a moment like she remembered everything. But the moment slipped away from her, but she kept one thing- she remembered indomitable spirit, a refusal to surrender even in the face of truly absurd odds, fighting to the last. Slowly, she got up on her feet. This was not her way; lying down and cowering was not her way. If that monster was so strong, then there was an obvious answer: get even stronger. Fight it to the death if it came here. And if she lost, buy as much time as possible for everyone else to get away. She'd protect this place, one way or the other- that was the Fairy Tail way.

Whatever Fairy Tail was.

* * *

The rest of the day passed quickly, the experience still staying with her. There was cooking, chores, people- but it was all a little like a dream, compared to what had just happened; her fear and the resolve that had been born out of it. Before she knew it, she was in her meager bed, under her simple, unwashed blanket, drifting into sleep.  
She slept heavily, but her dreams were haunted, white faces looking down on her, coming down to swallow her whole.

And then she was awake, sitting upright in her bead with a start, feeling disoriented. Recovering, she got up, and after grabbing a quick breakfast- just some corn porridge- she headed out into the village. As soon as possible, she'd go out to train, train, train even more, until her muscles burned- and then some.

As it happened, her plans to train were thwarted before they even began- as soon as she got out on the village's one street, she saw the commotion- people gathered in a large crowd, talking worriedly. Quickly, she hurried up to the villagers, wondering what could be so important- at this point, most people were out working. As she got there, she saw one man talking excitedly, people around him murmuring, concerned looks on their faces all round.

"What's going on?" She demanded. "What's happened?"

"It's Taiji, miss!" The man exclaimed. "I found 'im- or what was left!"

"What?"

"I was goin' out to tend to my crops, and I found an arm and a head- Taiji's! There was blood all over the damn place, too!" He wailed. "We're all done for, I tell you!"

"It has to be a hollow." One of the farmers said morosely. "And things were going so well…"

"Then I'll find it." Erza said, feigning confidence- and at once, the crowd fell silent.

"You'd… find it?" Another farmer said, sounding incredulous.

"To do what, get killed?" The man, the one who had found Taiji, retorted. "Bandits' one thing, but hollows- that's outta our league, even if you're real strong." He shook his head, looking defeated.

"We have to send word to the Gotei Juusantai." Another man opined. "They're the only ones who can do anything."

"They won't get here till two days from now even if we send word right now!" One woman complained. "We- we're-"

"It's not hopeless." Erza said decisively. "Send word. Meanwhile, I'll go after it. I'm the strongest, so that means I'll be the tastiest, doesn't it?"

There was a murmur of approval from the crowd- the idea of drawing attention away from them, to her, did seem to go down well.

"All right." She said. "You." She pointed to the man who had found the body. "Show me where you found him."

The man was shaking, but the look on Erza's face was motivation enough- she was in no mood to mess around, and soon the two of them were heading out of the village. Erza tried to remember what his name was- Kasu or something of the like, she thought.

He led her towards his fields, towards a place she hadn't seen much of before- there really was a lot of land around them, and growing crops, that was a necessity.  
Before too long, though, Kasu had led her to the outside of a field. The plants looked healthy, ripe- almost ready for harvest. It was such a fine picture of life that the contrast of a mostly eaten corpse lying beside them, blood spread all around, was all the greater. Kasu put a hand over his mouth, looking like he would hurl, and Erza couldn't blame him. The corpse was badly mutilated- there were parts of a skull, a large piece of spine, and half an arm. Aside from some wobbly, bloody bits that Erza didn't want to guess what they were, that was all what was left. Fighting the urge to walk away, Erza kneeled down, inspecting the remains closely. There were teeth marks- large, big teeth marks, where the bones had been gnawed. Whatever had killed this poor man had taken its time to enjoy its gruesome meal. It was sickening.

"Kasu, right?" She said, turning to the farmer.

"Y-yes, ma'am." The man said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Run back to the village and get a sack, or something."

"Ma'am?"

"There's not a lot left of this man, but he deserves a funeral nonetheless." Erza said resolutely. "And I don't know about you, but I'm not keen on carrying these pieces by hand."

"Y-yes, ma'am. Of course, ma'am." Kasu said, turning around and marching, running away. He was probably relieved to be away, and in all honesty, so she would be too. Still, Erza forced herself to stay, to look at the carnage. This was what this world was- beautiful harvests on the one hand, but blood and death on the other, and the only way to preserve the worthwhile things, she realized, was to fight for it. She would have to fight this hollow eventually, or it would just happen again, and again, and again.

After a while, Kasu came back with a small sack. Grimacing, Erza went about the messy job of collecting the bloody remains- but it had to be done, and done it was. After washing her hands in a nearby stream, she headed back to the village, carrying an all too light sack.

There was a summary funeral, after a hole had been hastily dug behind the poor man's house, with his neighbor saying a few words in memory of him. Erza couldn't stand it- when they began filling the grave, she left, heading back to her home.  
Once there, she sat down on the floor, trying to meditate. But every time she tried to gather her thoughts, the image of those gnawed corpse pieces appeared before her eyes, haunting her.

Eventually, old man Getsu came in, interrupting her. Where he had been, she didn't know, but she almost felt grateful- she had no idea where to go next. Fight the hollow, sure, but how? Where would she even find it?

"I hear you saw something right awful." Getsu said gently, walking up to her.

"They say right." She said, sighing. "Old man, I…" she stopped herself, trying to find the words.

"Yes, child?" He took a seat opposite of her, slowly crossing his legs.

"The other day." She said, breathing heavily. "The other day, I saw it."

"The monster?" Getsu said urgently.

"I saw… a hollow, yeah. I think it was, at least- it fit your description, and it felt so… evil." She shuddered.

He nodded. "They are evil, child. To the bone."

"I was so sure I could handle that." She said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "But when I saw it… I was afraid, Getsu, I was so afraid. It was like looking at a nightmare."

"They are the stuff of nightmare. Nobody should feel ashamed to be afraid of them- not even someone like you. We are afraid of storms, of natural disasters, and we are afraid of hollows too. We cannot do anything- the likes of us cannot fight them."

"But that's what I have to do, old man." She said quietly.

"You mustn't!"

"Yes, I have to." She said resolutely. "Even if it kills me, even if I'm afraid. I… when I was alive, I was someone who could fight, I am sure of it- and I'm strong. I'm our best bet, and someone has to do _something_, even if it just stalling it till there's help."

"And if you die, horribly?"

"Then that's what happens."

"For people you've known less than a month?"

Erza stood up. "If I don't do it, who will?"

She grabbed her iron pipe, and walked towards the door.

"Well, don't expect me to feel sorry for you when you get yourself killed!" Getsu shouted grumpily after her.

"I won't." She said, opening the door. She had decided- to battle it was, and it was an oddly relieving feeling. Frightening, sure, and there was anxiety and hesitation too- but having set her mind on this, even if it meant staking blood, pain and struggle, felt much better than the fear and uncertainty that had stalked her since she had seen the monster. Stopping only to grab some food from one of the village traders- this could be a fairly long trip, after all- she headed out, back to where she had first seen it. She would start there, and then scour the surrounding area- the entire district, if she had to- to find it. She was the biggest reiatsu source around here- she would be the tastiest target for a monster like that.

Resolutely, she marched out into the wilderness, carrying only her pipe and a small sack for food. She walked at an even pace, all day until evening. The landscape around her changed-more hills, more rocks, more trees. No wonder they farmed in the flatter lands.  
Finally, as sun began to set, she decided it was enough for the day. Sitting down under a tree, she leaned back, letting herself relax. The ground wasn't soft, and the night was chilly, but it wasn't too bothersome. She wished she knew some shinigami magic; maybe then she could have lit a fire.

Then, best she lay back trying to sleep, she sensed… something. Her first instinct was a hollow, and she sat bolt upright- but upon closer inspection, it was very much not a hollow. It was a small reiatsu signature, it was…

"Come out, Kitsu." She said sharply.

From out a bush, the boy came, letting out an awkward laugh. "You caught me, sis…"

"Good grief, you kept up with me all day?" She said, trying to sound irritated- but it was fairly impressive for a child, she had to admit.

"They all said you were going out to slay the hollow!" The boy exclaimed. "Don't you see- I had to see that!"

"Slay it- or get slain. And then what happens to you?" She chided.

"You won't lose." He said confidently, with the certainty only a child or a fool could provide.

"You're a real dummy, you know that? Your parents will be worried sick- you should go home?"

"I can't go home now. A little kid walking all that way himself, when a hollow is around?" He grinned.

She sighed. "I should slap you silly, you know." She said, realizing she wasn't very good at playing strict at the moment.

"But you won't. Because you're cool, and nice, and really pretty-"

"No flattery." She said sharply. "You're staying, if only because I can't march you back myself- but if there's any sign of trouble, you _go hide_. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sis!" Kitsu said, looking pleased.

"Good grief…" she mumbled. But despite herself, not being alone felt… good, even if it was just a silly kid who was too brave for his own good.

* * *

Flayer looked at the two little creatures from afar. The woman radiated power- she would make a fine meal, enough that he could remain safe in Hueco Mundo for a long time; perhaps even enough to trigger an evolution of his power. That would be something, to become a Menos… he licked his teeth in anticipation. It really was a lucky catch- she had lots of power, like a shinigami, but she wasn't using it right, and she didn't have one of those accursed weapons either. She had run away from him the other day- he had been full, and not really too interested in a chase. But now he was hungry again, and she… she would make a fine meal. Killing one of the worthless creatures she lived with had worked really well, too- she was no shinigami, but she had the same naïve idea that she needed to protect. Heroes were so _easy_, so exploitable. Still, he had to be careful- he had lived for decades as a hollow, and he hadn't gotten that far by taking unnecessary risks. He could pounce on them now, but what if she woke and proved stronger than he had expected? No, better not risk it- an ambush would be better, at a time and place chosen by him.  
Still, he was hungry, and a snack would be just about right now. Carefully, he snuck closer, moving quietly despite his bulky, reptilian body. Taking one careful step at a time, he came close enough. It was just a small kid next to her, but it would do- he could eat it later, and it would give this hero a reason to come after him, come right where he needed her to be. Reaching out a monstrous hand, he grabbed the kid, clamping a finger over its mouth. The boy woke, wiggling, trying to scream, but it was too late- he was taken, silenced. Flayer licked his teeth again, drooling slightly. This would be worth staying longer here in Soul Society, so well worth it.

* * *

The next day, Erza Scarlet woke up alone. The sun was only now rising, the dark of night receding. She got up, rubbing her eyes- she was tired still, but the ground was not a very comfortable bed to start with. She began digging in her pack for some breakfast, when she looked around- and realized that little Kitsu was not there anymore. Quickly snapping fully awake, she looked around, getting to her feet.

Gone. He was gone, without a trace anywhere. He wouldn't have run off on his own, would he? No- that wouldn't make sense. He wanted to come along with her, and even if he left for home, why would he do it in the night? Urgently, she began to look around for any trace, any sign left. Had he been taken by bandits? If so, why hadn't they tried to take her too? Could it be the hollow-

It could. In the ground, just twenty odd feet from where she had slept, she saw footprints; big, huge footprints from a creature with three clawed toes, leading up to her camp site- and then away from it. There was no doubt- Kitsu had been taken by the hollow. She could see no blood though, not around where she had slept, or around the footprints. Feverishly, she looked around for traces of blood, hoping to whatever powers might listen that she would find none.  
As luck would have it, after fifteen minutes of searching, she could see no blood- there was still hope he might be alive. Erza stopped, taking deep breaths- she couldn't lose her calm now. Thinking carefully, she wolfed down some bread and corn- she needed breakfast, and there was no sense in hunting a hollow on an empty stomach.  
All right, what could she make of this? She wasn't a great detective, but some things seemed apparent- the kid was not dead, and the hollow hadn't pounced on her in her sleep. Why? She would have been vulnerable. If the hollow had done this, then there was some design to it, some purpose.

Quickly, she began walking, trying her damnedest to sense for reiatsu signatures while thinking. Did it want to lure her into a trap? Maybe. That could explain kidnapping the child. Or maybe it was just malice; these creatures were supposed to be evil through and through.

Her mind plagued with fears and doubts, a thousand and one grim scenarios playing through her head, she walked through the forest trying to follow the hollow's trail. If Kitsu died, it would be her fault- she had been there, right next to him, and he had been taken without her noticing. What kind of protector was she?

After a couple of hours, just when her doubts had almost turned to hopelessness, she felt it- just a tinge of reiatsu, different from anything else around her. Quickly, she hurried in its direction, the sensation getting stronger and stronger.

* * *

Flayer waited impatiently, whipping his tail. He had smelled the stupid woman all day, sensing her get closer, and he had been letting his own reiatsu pump high so she could find him. He was perched high on a tree, an ancient, thick tree overlooking a glade. The boy was there in the middle; he would make for good bait as he came down from above. Slowly, he suppressed his reiatsu. Now, all he had to do was wait.

Erza was running, hopping across stone and wood to get there. She could sense Kitsu now, but the hollow's signature was fading- had it run away? Never mind; she had to help, had to save him somehow. In this moment, with adrenaline pumping through her system, all her senses seemed enhanced, like every smell of the forest was known to her, like every detail of every rock and tree was noticeable, like she could sense anything-  
And there it was. In the middle of a glade sat the boy, on a tree stump, looking terrified. Quickly, Erza rushed towards him.

"Sis, look out!" he cried, as she entered the glade. Erza, reacting on instinct, spun around-  
And then he was on her. The monster pounced on her, its claws slashing at her, tearing her kimono. The impact sent her flying like a rag doll, and it was all she could do to keep a grip on her iron pipe. Not letting up, the hollow hopped on top of her, pinning her arm to the ground, sinking its claws into her side. She could see its face, up close- it was ugly, terrifying, like the face of death. Its breath stunk, and Erza moaned in pain.

_"So simple." _It said, sounding smug. _"You are all so stupid, little souls. You are fit only to be my prey." _The monster opened its maw, and at the last second, Erza broke her arm free, swinging the pipe as hard as she could. It didn't do much- the hollow's head veered to the side, but it seemed unharmed. It did, however, give her the time to get up on her feet.

"You really are strong, aren't you?" It said, licking its teeth. "You'll make a fine meal- I can already taste your blood."

"I'm not dead yet." Erza said, standing up with her head held high. "And I'm not going to die here, either."

"You talk big, but I can smell it on you- the fear. You reek of it." The hollow cackled evilly.

"Come find out how afraid I am, then!" Brandishing her pipe, Erza braced herself for the worst.

_"With pleasure." _

And the hollow leapt forward.

* * *

**And so ends chapter 2. I understand a lot of you were probably hopping for the battle itself to occur within this chapter, but I believe that building up tension was the right thing to do. Besides, this gave my writer more time to work on the upcoming battle. You wont be disappointed, I promise.**

**How will Erza fare against this new enemy without the use of her magic and no zanpaktou? Well, the only way to find out is to keep on reading.**

**In other news however, the day that im posting this chapter has something special going on. Tonight, toonami airs the final episode of the Bleach Anime While ive seen most of the anime subbed and I read the manga every week, I truly got into the series thanks to the dub. Been watching it for 5 years. 5 very fun years. Its sad that its all over.**

**However, I still believe that one day, the anime will return and we can get the conclusion to the 1000 year blood war arc in anime format.**

**Anyways, I hopped you enjoyed the chapter. Please feel free to leave your thoughts in a review. Reader feed back is HIGHLY appreciated.**


	3. The Scarlet Protector

**Fairy Tail is Property of Hiro Mashima and Bleach is property of Tite Kubo.**

**Since im such a good mood, I decided to upload a chapter earlier than I planed. I was hopping to have a few more reviews by this point, but hey, beggars cant be choosers. This chapter, once again, was written by Greatkingrat88. Thanks again for an amazing job.**

**And thank you, dear reader, for taking your time to read this story.**

**That said, as I've mentioned before, IM the one who comes up with the plot, so please, do feel free to ask me any questions you may have for the story.**

* * *

The impact felt like it could shatter bones. The hollow bore down on Erza, tackling her, trying to bring her to the ground- but she pushed back, the soles of her feet burning as they scraped across the ground, leaving dirty, heavy skid marks on the forest floor. Letting out a cry, she grabbed the hollow's clawed arm with one hand, slamming her iron pipe down onto its mask with her other arm. It was futile; it was nowhere near enough to crack it- but at the same time, she could feel something resonate, something humming with power as she struck. Suddenly, she could almost see it- everything was spirit; the trees were spirit, the ground was spirit, the grass was spirit, and at the core of everything was the spiritual energy of the hollow and herself, clashing against each other- that was what this afterlife was, energies clashing against one another-

And then her brief moment of realization was overridden by her combat instinct, Erza somersaulting backwards to avoid a swipe of the hollow's claws. It let out a deep, fierce, malicious growl, and she could feel its claws just grazing her back, narrowly avoiding an injury greater than a scratch. She couldn t let herself be distracted- a single moment of hesitation, a single mistake, and she would be dead- again, presumably permanently.

But at the same time, the fear she had felt earlier was gone. Here she was, face to face, and her body was reacting on its own, her muscles working in patterns buried deep in her brain, ingrained in her from childhood, and she felt not fear, only caution. Not hesitance, only focus.

The hollow lunged forward again, reaching for her with its clawed arms. Reading its movement, she calculated its momentum, jumped, and sailed past its claws entirely, above its head, landing at the back of its neck. Knowing she had just a split second, she let her energy rise- remarkable, what control this dangerous situation had given her- and brought her pipe down at the hollow's neck, hard. There was a dull thud, and she could feel it- the bony head was thick and strong, but the neck was soft, full of bone, sinew and muscle that could be hurt.

The hollow howled, spinning around, thrashing, and Erza was flung off, but she found her balance mid-air, and let herself hit the ground in a roll, getting to her feet almost instantly. The hollow was rearing, turning towards her, but she was not letting it take the initiative. Immediately, she charged towards it, holding her pipe in both hands, slamming it down on the hollow's head, again and again and again. The hollow let out a frustrated sound, slashing at her with its left arm furiously, but the swipe was broad, too strong and too wide, and Erza ducked under it, immediately lunging forward, slamming a fist into the monster s chest. And to her surprise, the monster staggered backward. She felt strong, stronger than ever- her power was rising, flaring like a beacon of force.

_ "You think yourself strong, little maggot?"_ The monster hissed. _"I will feast on your innards and drink from your skull!"_

"I'm not the one who stopped the fight to talk." Erza said, holding her pipe up like a sword. "But since we're talking- why don't I say something?"

_" Speak,then."_ The hollow said, pacing around her, licking its teeth again.

Carefully rotating to match the hollow's steps, Erza continued,

"I know why you hit me from an ambush."

_"Oh?"_

" I thought I was the one who was afraid- but it was you, wasn't it? If I was so beneath you, you would just have walked up and killed me- but you hit me from behind, because _you're afraid of me"._ She said confidently. She had no idea if it was really true, but perhaps she could provoke it to make one false step and it worked. Roaring, all semblance of speech and threat forgotten, the hollow charged. Like an animal, it lunged, and she could see its open jaws, its fierce teeth, that maw aiming to take her head. And she felt calm. At the last second, she hopped to the left, then into the air to avoid another swipe- and mid-air, she struck down on its arm, as hard as she could. She felt the impact in her arms, the force of it hurting her, but she was rewarded with the sound of bone cracking. As she landed on the ground, the monster let out a howl.

"_Scum!"_ It shrieked. _"Petty, filthy little soul scum! I will kill you- I will make you watch as I eat that child! I will violate you, destroy you! I will eat-"_  
Quickly, Erza charged it, slamming her pipe down on its already injured leg. "Talk is cheap!" She shouted. Now on the defensive, the hollow backed up, turning its right, uninjured side towards her. But now it had one less limb to hurt her with, and she was faster- not much, but fast enough.

And again it came, hopping forward, clawing at her. She was prepared- when suddenly, her power faltered. Unable to respond, she could only block, being sent flying, slamming into a tree. Inwardly, she cursed- she had let too much energy be used at once, blazing it away too carelessly. Focusing, she got up on her feet, forcing more energy out. Again, her power rose- and just in time, as Erza had to crouch into a roll to avoid getting hit. Behind her, the tree she had crashed into was broken, its trunk shattered under the force of the hollow s claws. Quickly, she turned to face the hollow.

_"Something the matter?"_ It said maliciously. "_You were so full of yourself just a second ago, little soul."_

"Come and see what I' full of,then." Erza said grimly, straining herself to keep her power up. This was bad- it could last only a few more minutes.  
_"Gladly."_ The monster said, charging forward, leaping through the air towards her

Everything seemed to move at a snail's pace; like the world had gotten down to slow motion. It was a familiar feeling, somehow- she had sensed it many times before, her senses getting sharper in battle- there was nothing like staking your life to make you feel alive. A flicker of fright crossed Erza s mind, as the towering monster came towards her, sailing through the air, but she dismissed it. Thinking quickly, she dashed forward, as if to greet the monster mid-air- but she went into a roll, skipping forward, the hollow passing over her entirely. Instantly on her feet, Erza turned around, dashing forward, refusing to let that towering, bulky beast get the initiative- it was far too strong to be let run wild, especially when she was weakening.

Letting out a loud, spirited battle cry, she slammed her makeshift weapon down on the monster, who blocked it with its good arm- but as if on instinct, Erza ducked under its arm, slamming the other end of the pipe in its eye. The monster roared with pain, stepping backward, and Erza continued her assault, furiously bashing the iron pipe on its mask, over and over again. Her arms hurt from the impact, she was getting tired, but she barely noticed it- she was almost losing herself in a berserker rage. Visions of the hollow's victims blurred through her mind, and she hit, again and again, the monster forced on the defensive. It tried to lash out, stab at her, but she jumped over the sweep, quickly exploiting the opening to hit at its injured arm again, before hammering at its mask again. She shouted, roared, letting just enough anger flow through her- this was do or die, right here; if she faltered, then she could die easily.  
Finally, the hollow let out a frustrated howl, hopping back.

_"You filthy, conceited little soul!"_ He shrieked. _"I will not forget this- I will come back for you, and for every pathetic soul you protect!"_  
"We're finishing this." Erza said resolutely, swinging her pipe outward, just like a sword. She noticed a small bone fragment falling off, and with a triumphant look on her face, she turned her gaze to the hollow s mask. There was a crack- several cracks, caused by her assault. She grinned.  
She was running on fumes, though, and she knew it. She was already fighting off an impulse to collapse, her legs trembling slightly with adrenaline, her power already fading.

_ "I am anything but finished with you, you petty little thing,"_ The hollow said, clutching its broken arm, _"but this fight ends for now. Rest assured, this will not be the last we see of each other!"_

It spat- or let out a spit-sounding kind of sound, as much as a creature without lips could- and moved its good arm, bringing it down through the air, and suddenly, a black rift opened. It looked strange- odd, unnatural, out of place, just _wrong _

"_Good bye, little ape_." The hollow cackled, moving into the portal.

Erza immediately charged forward. Later, when asked why, she would have no real answer- it would have been so easy to let it run, and there would have been so shame in it; she had won and was already exhausted, but somewhere inside she knew she couldn't let it be, couldn't let it go; knowing she had to at least _try_  
And in an instant she was there. The hollow was almost through the portal, which was already closing- only its tail was not through. Quickly, without hesitating, Erza dug her feet into the ground, grabbing a solid hold of the tail, pulling hard. The hollow roared, and the portal stopped closing.

"_Let go, you filthy creature!"_ it cried.

"Never!" Erza shouted back, pulling harder. It was like pulling at a massive boulder- but she was shifting it, just barely, tugging the tail back inch by inch. The hollow struggled, thrashed, but didn't have much room to move- it was stuck, Erza stubbornly keeping it anchored in the Soul Society.  
After at least a minute s worth of deadly tug-of-war, the portal widened, and Erza got a quick glance of what looked like a narrow cave, its mouth overlooking a colorless landscape- an all grey landscape, a desert stretching to the horizon. And then she could see it no more, because the hollow hopped forward through the portal, right back at her.

Thinking on her feet, Erza grabbed its tail firmly, tugging even harder, and the creature, its momentum doubled by its own charge towards Erza, practically flew through the portal, tumbling over on its side. Quickly, Erza took the pipe in both hands, and hopped after it, sailing through the air. Almost- she was almost done. Exhaustion could wait. And again, for just a second, everything moved in slow motion. She could see the hollow lying on its back, its right arm hanging at a crooked, wrong angle. There was its ugly, scaled belly- and its soft-looking neck, with a lot of loose skin, hanging freely.

And down she came, slamming her weapon down onto its neck with all the strength she could muster. She could her nothing break- it was a dull, inoffensive kind of sound, like a club hitting a sack of potatoes. But damage had been done, no doubt, because the monster, scrambling to get up on its feet, was coughing, hacking, wobbling even as it got to its feet. It didn't even have a hateful retort- it just looked at her, and for the first time she was sure she had been right- there was fear in its eyes. Letting out a final battle cry, a roar from the tips of her toes up to her head, like an amazon she charged forward, finally losing herself entirely. She was all but spent, but this _had_ to be done, she _had_ to finish or she and everyone else was dead. The world became a blur, and she vaguely registered bringing her club up and down over and over, like a frenzied reaper cutting down harvest. She registered pain, in her arms and her body, but it wasn't hers, not hers at all- it was someone else whose arms ached, whose body was aching.

Later, she wouldn't remember anything at all of that moment, not what she thought or felt, only that she was doing what had to be done- it was all a blur, a fine, blood-covered mist on her memory.  
And finally she stopped. Her arms slowed down, finally coming to a halt. And as if waking up from a dream, she saw the hollow- its head reduced to a bloody pulp, her clothes and face and arms covered in blood. Breathing heavily, she took a careful look at it, making sure it was dead. A closer inspection showed her there was no need to worry- its head was all but completely destroyed, its other arm shattered, presumably when it had tried to defend itself. She had done it- she had beaten it Exhausted, Erza fell down face first onto the brain-stained, bloody grass, finally allowing herself the luxury of unconsciousness.

* * *

Shimura Shinpachi, Tenth seat of division six, looked down the hill, peering through his glasses. He had followed a distress call sent two days ago, regarding an especially vicious hollow preying on souls down in the forty-sixth district. It had already claimed several, he had been told, and was bold enough to linger here in the Soul Society. It could not be tolerated- he had set out, prepared to fight it to the death in the name of division six and Kuchiki Ginrei-taicho. He had traced its signature for miles- it had left a fairly obvious trace; it was bold, no doubt. And after hours and hours of tracking, he had found it, just past a hill, fluctuating. He had hurried to the hilltop. There were many things Shinpachi would have expected- maybe the monster toying with its prey, or wreaking havoc, or possibly fighting someone else- although he knew of no other shinigami in the vicinity.

It was no small surprise, then, to see the quickly dissolving corpse of a reptilian-looking hollow dissolving on the forest floor, its head beaten to a red, bloody unrecognizable mess. The mask was entirely gone, and judging by its reiatsu, the corpse would soon disintegrate. Hurrying down the hill, Shinpachi ran to get a closer look.

* * *

She was in limbo, some kind of non-awake state- not dreaming, but not conscious either. She couldn't feel her body, but her mind was hers, not subject to the whims of her subconscious. She was floating in a sightless nothingness, trying to gather her thoughts.  
Who was she?

_I am Erza Scarlet._

Why was she here?

_The hollow._ She reminded herself.

We won, didn't we?

_If we didn't , would we- I- be here?_

Then suddenly, she was hit by an enormous wave, a massive tide of data, of old memories showering across her very being. There were _names_. There were people, who she knew but didn't quite remember.  
Natsu Dragneel. Lucy Heartfilia. Gray Fullbuster. Master Makarov. Jellal Fernandes. She remembered. She had been a mage in life, she had live in a guild, she had had friends and these were all their names-

And then it all slipped, the data flickering away from her. It was like looking into a treasure chest, only for its lid to slam shut- she wanted to shout with frustration, but she couldn't , couldn't move or talk or feel-  
And slowly, Erza awoke, opening her eyes. Quickly, she focused on her memories- Fairy Tail! Fairy Tail! Natsu Lucy Gray Jellal! She thought, feverishly burning what little she had left into her brain, as she came back to the world of the dead, feeling all the pain that came with it.

"Uuurgh." She groaned. Now that she was conscious, she could feel every blow her body had taken- the injury in her side, bruises, and her arms hurt like crazy- she might as well have been run over by a train.  
Trains. There had been trains.

"Careful." It was a gentle voice, sounding young. She looked up. It was a man, wearing glasses, and a completely black kimono. He had a sword by his side, and was kneeling by her. "Don't strain yourself- you are very weak."

"Who are you?" She mumbled.

"Shimura Shinpachi." He said, applying some sort of salve to her wound. She wasn't near the hollow- she could still see it, but she herself had been moved to the edge of the glade. She noticed her kimono had been pulled down; she was almost naked. She glared at him. "I'm sorry." He said nervously. "You were in a bad state when I found you- you lost a lot of blood, and I had to treat you."

"Makes sense." She murmured.  
Shinpachi began applying a bandage, very carefully. "You almost completely burned out your reishi, you know that?" He said, in an almost chiding tone. "It s surprising you're still alive."

"What would have happened if I did?"

"You would be dead." Shinpachi said. "Your body would have decayed, and your energy would have dispersed and become part of the Soul Society."

"Oh." She said. She really had been reckless.

"I'm Erza Scarlet." She said finally.

"Pleased to meet you, miss Scarlet." He said courteously.

Then, something struck Erza. "Where's Kitsu?!" She exclaimed. The little boy- where had he gone? Had he lived- please God, let him be alive!"

"Who?"

"A little boy!" She said emphatically, trying to sit up. Gently but firmly, Shinpachi pushed her down.

"The boy is fine." He said. "I told him to hide under a tree a bit further away- this isn't something children should see."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "So I really killed it?"

He nodded. "You beat it to death. I can't really believe it myself."

"I guess it was a very strong pipe." She said, smiling to herself.

He shook his head. "No- a simple weapon is just a conduit for your own power. You did this on your own. Remarkable, I have to say." "It was nothing special." He shook his head. "I wouldn't say so." He stood up. "Listen, I've cleaned your wounds and done what I can. I'll send a medic when I get back- but for now, I have to get back, and report." He smiled at her. Then, he reached into his kimono, and produced a small package. "Here- this is the food I prepared for myself later. You need it more than I do, and you already did my job for me. If you re sure you don t need it I am sure." He said, and bowed to her. "Please get a lot of rest, and eat when you re feeling stronger. Do not try to walk until you feel stronger. It would be a shame for you to succumb to your injuries after a feat like this." "I will. Thank you." She said, feeling a little surprised, receiving such kindness from a stranger.

"It was nothing." He said, turning around. "See you later, Miss Scarlet." With that, the man walked away, leaving Erza lying under her tree.  
Erza took a deep breath, lying back. She still hurt, but she wasn't bleeding- it wasn't unbearable by any means. Closing her eyes, she took in everything. She had overcome her fear. She had faced the hollow, and she had beaten it- with brute force, no less. Out loud, she wouldn't have said so, but she was pretty impressed with herself- it felt special, and it probably was. She smiled, despite the aches in her body. The village would be safe, Kitsu would live, and so would she. And she alone had achieved this, by her own strength. In just this one moment, she allowed herself some pride, the feeling that she was good; good enough to fight off monsters, and good enough to be worth her place in the village. She had really done it.

And somehow, her memories were coming back. The faces and names of her friends- she could still see them clearly, and while she had felt frustrated that the rest of it had slipped away from her, she decided to be hopeful- her memories would come back with time.

A little while later, little Kitsu came up to her, finally venturing up from his hiding place. He was all right, by the looks of him, except a nasty-looking gash on his arm.

"Sis." He said quietly, and it occurred to Erza that she must look terrible- beaten up, wounded, drying blood on her half-naked body, "it wasn t a great idea to come along, was it?"

"Shush." She said, trying to sound comforting. "We re both alive, and the monster is dead. That's all we need to think about."

"But, you-" Kitsu said, and she could hear him choking up.

"That's _all_ we need to think about. She said firmly. "Sit down and get some rest. I should be able to walk tomorrow."

* * *

As it turned out, it took more than one night's worth of rest, and plenty of food and water, before Erza had recovered. By the next evening, Erza finally managed to stand, and felt well enough that starting a gingerly walk wouldn t be beyond her. It was remarkable to her- she remembered being injured before, when she was alive, and she would have expected it to take longer than this- but even though it hurt, the pain was somehow different- lesser, as if wounds weren't the same in the afterlife. That would be one bonus to being dead, at least.

It took a full two days for the two of them to walk back, slowly and carefully, stopping to rest very often. By the time she could see the village, they were both hungry- but they were back, safe at home. It was just as well- Kitsu's arm wasn t looking great, and she herself needed a bed.

And so finally, when they staggered back into the village, she was greeted by what looked like the entire village, waiting for her. Kitsu's mother, looking besides herself with worry, snatched the child, no doubt to lecture him, fuss over him, or both at once. Erza herself was left to account for what had happened- she knew she wasn't looking great, bloody, worn down and her clothes torn, but the news were good enough that nobody seemed to mind. People swarmed around her, cheering, shouting her name- she was Erza, the protector, the hero who killed the monster and got revenge. It took Erza quite some time to get the message through that what she needed most now was rest, and eventually she got back to her bed, where she collapsed into a deep, deep sleep.

The next day, she would wake to a bedside filled with gifts- food, new clothes, all sorts of useful trinkets, and on top of it all a medic in a shinigami s robes- Shinpachi had kept his promise, apparently.

The next two weeks were spent mainly in bed rest, Erza slowly recovering fully. As she recovered, as her wounds healed, she felt strong, as if the ordeal had left her a better fighter. Not much of anything happened- the village was quiet, and Erza slowly returned to normal life, doing what chores the villagers would let her, injured as she was. And eventually, a feast was held. Good food, drinks, and toasts in her honour- it made for memories worth remembering.

And so, some more time passed. Life was simple, but happy.

Life, of course, seldom remains simple for heroes.

* * *

"So you're tellin me," said warlord Amatsuki Kansei, peeling an apple, "that this _protector_ is keeping Farmsworth Village from paying their dues." He looked down at the thug before him- a petty little man who was ruthless and underhanded enough to have become leader of his own gang, the Blue Lizards. And currently, Kansei noted, failing in his duties.

"It can't be helped, my lord." The gang leader said, bowing his head deep. His name was Takami, or something like that- he couldn t remember why he had seen fit to promote this rat to begin with. "Whenever we try and get what's ours, she beats us up but good."

"So send more!" Kansei snapped irritably, brushing some dirt off his purple kimono. It was a fine thing, woven in silk and imported directly from the Gotei Thirteen, a symbol of his status.

"I tried that, my lord." Takami said. "The result was always the same."

Kansei bit into the apple. "You really are useless, you know that?"

"Yes, my lord!"

Kansei chewed slowly, pondering what to do. He had half a mind to have Takami killed- but finding halfway decent gang leaders was a pain in the ass, and he still brought in good money.  
"Tell you what, Takami," he said, sounding menacing, "since you can't handle your own problems, I'm stepping in personally- I'm going to send a party of dependable men right there, get what we want, and then you'll make up for what you've lost from that shitty little village- with interest. Understood?"

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" Takami exclaimed, sounding relieved.

"Dismissed." Kansei said, making no effort to hide his contempt. Honestly, people these days...

Still, it wouldn't do to let anybody get away with defiance. If one village got uppity, then so could another, and another after that. They had to know their place- depending on how it went, he might have to make an example of them.

* * *

With a heavy thud, another thug slammed into the mud on the village's main street. Erza swung her pipe out to the side, readying herself to hit again. Twelve men already lay unconscious in the dirt, and the five that remained looked noticeably hesitant about continuing their attack. Twenty of them had come- big, burly, hard-boiled men, the kind that had 'thug' practically tattooed on their foreheads, the kind you'd see working for gang leaders, Legitimate Businessmen, or possibly law enforcement. They had all been better dressed than most bandits she had driven off, Erza had noticed, and they had carried themselves with a pride and confidence that was atypical for the local thieves, killers-for-hire and all around scum that could be found nearby.

One of them, tall, broad of shoulder, wearing a black-and-white kimono, stepped up, a long knife in his hand. "You'll regret that, bitch." He snarled, and lunged forward, aiming to stab her.

Erza didn't bother knocking him over the head, simply catching his hand as it came in. The man struggled to push her back, but Erza was stronger, and soon he found himself pushed back- and then Erza twisted, pushed forward, and the man was on one knee. Erza held his hand in an iron grip, and he let out a small whine, struggling to break free.

"That doesn't feel very good, does it?" Erza said coolly, and there was steel in her voice.

"N-no!" The thug said, desperately looking to his allies for help. His fellow thugs looked strangely preoccupied with the weather, the local architecture, or anything that wasn't the red-headed, buxom avatar of fury standing before them.

"Do you think the merchant whose stall you knocked over felt very good?" Erza said, tightening her grip. The man made a pained face.

"I- no!" He said, trying to pull himself free.

"You said everyone in the village was going to pay." She said, and the thug looked at her, a look of aw and dread in his face. "You said that we needed to learn some manners. Then you tried setting a house on fire."

"I- no-"

"Oh? You didn't?" Erza said, her grip tightening. The thug squealed with pain.

"No- no- we did, yes! Please let me go!"

"Who sent you?" Erza said, mercilessly keeping her grip on the man's hand.

"Warlord Amatsuki!" The man shrieked. "The village- you haven't been paying your dues!"

"Dues?" Erza said ferociously, glaring a you-are-about-to-suffer kind of glare.

"Everyone- ack!- pays up to the local boss, see? And the bosses pay up to the warlord. 'S how it works arrgharrgharrgh please-"

Finally, Erza let go of the man's hand, and the thug collapsed, clutching his squashed limb.

Erza turned to the seven remaining men, who had gone from hesitant to terrified.

"I'm warning you!" the closest one said, clutching a rusty, jagged sword. "We'll-"

What he would do would forever be a mystery, because Erza dashed forward, swatting aside his clumsy attack with ease, slamming her pipe down on his skull just hard enough that it wouldn't crack, but no lighter than that. He collapsed, but Erza wasn't done- she was already on the move to bring down the next. In a matter of seconds, she had beaten down three more, leaving them with black eyes, broken bones, and what would soon be very large, painful bruises.

Only three remained now- three ugly, vicious little thugs who had had the nerve to come to _her_ village and disrupt the peace, to bully and threaten...

"H-hey, I give up!" The closest one said, dropping his weapon- a simple club, nothing more. He held his hands up in surrender, and his two friends quickly followed suit.

For a moment, Erza felt the urge to smash their faces in anyhow- they were thugs, thieves, bullies, and probably far worse than that... but she repressed that sentiment, dismissing it as quick as it had come up. They might be low-lives, but she was not.

"Lord Amatsuki sent you, did he?"

Y-yes!" One of them stuttered. "Ya gotta understand miss, we don't got no choice- if we don't do as he says, we're dog food."

"Shut up!" Erza snapped. "You'll go back to him, and you'll tell him he's got no claim to this place. If he wants 'dues', then he can shove it- so long as I'm here, I'm not going to let people like you do whatever you want. Got that?"

"Yes, miss!" Soon, a train of moaning, badly bruised and humiliated thugs made its way out of her village. Erza sternly looked at them as they left, to remind them exactly why they were running- or rather, staggering- away with their tails behind their legs. Come what may, she would protect this place. It was her home now, full of people- people who deserved more than to live in fear.

The next day, Erza rose early, half prepared to fight off an invasion. Anyone who titled himself warlord was bound to have a big ego, and big egos were easily bruised. Instead, after having a simple breakfast, she found by the village gates not an invasion force, but a single man. He was well dressed, his black hair looking like it had received the attention of a professional recently. Judging by his blue-and-white kimono, he was probably rich- at least richer than the people who lived around here. He didn t look like he was carrying a weapon, but Erza wasn t one to take any risks. Brandishing her pipe, she walked closer.

"Who are you?" She demanded, her tone stern and to the point.

"Oh, how dangerous you sound." The man said, sounding amused. His voice was light, almost effeminate. "No wonder you sent the boys packing the other day." He looked her up and down. "But oh my, you're quite the beauty, aren't you? You should smile more often."

"I said, who are you? Erza said, ignoring his comments.

"I'm Sagun." The man said, bowing deeply- not without a strong hint of mockery, Erza suspected. "I work for his grace, the most enlightened warlord Amatsuki Kansei."

In an instant, Erza held her pipe up, ready to do battle. The man just waved his hands though, saying,  
"Now now, I'm not a fighter. Anything but, to be honest! I only serve as his grace's emissary. His voice, if you will." He waved his hand theatrically.

"And what does his voice want with me?"

"His grace wishes to know why you have stolen his property." Sagun said, chuckling slightly.

"I've stolen nothing." She said, slowly lowering her pipe. She sensed no particular power from this man- if he pulled out a concealed weapon, she would handle it.

"Oh, but you have." He gestured towards the village. "This village rightfully belongs to my lord, and look what you did- snatching it right out from under him. Naughty, naughty! This village would supply the Blue Lizards with a lot of crops, water, and tools and here you are, greedily keeping it for yourself."

"I'm not keeping anything, and these people belong to themselves. I'm only here to protect them."

"Oh!" Sagun exclaimed, giggling slightly. "A knight in shining armour? Well, sir Knight, you may have beaten a lot of weaklings- but strength can only take you so far. You are given this one chance- this one and only chance-"

"No". Erza said flatly.

"You didn't even let me finish." Sagun said, pouting. "Well, I'll finish anyway- you have one chance: go away now, and you'll be free to go."

"And this village?"

"Oh, they'd have to pay some penalty fees, I imagine. They are overdue with their payments, after all. Don t worry, though- they wouldn't be killed. Dead souls cannot pay. Well, not that many, at least."

_"No."_

Sagun sighed. "I figured you d say that. "And suddenly, his leisurely tone, his glib face dropped, and he continued, "so here s the deal: you're going to die. We have people who can fight- fight for real. And when you're beaten, we'll make you watch as we kill everyone in here. Except two or three, who will live to tell the tale of what happens to those who refuse the authority of lord Amatsuki. And when that s done, you'll die, slowly."

Erza grit her teeth, staring at him, the grip on her pipe tightening.

"You-"

"One week." He said, pointing his finger at her. "One week. When that's out, everyone here will die." He turned around, slowly walking out of the village grounds. "One week, sir Knight!"

Erza watched him leave, her body trembling with rage. Everyone here dead- because she had done what she knew was right, protected those who couldn't protect themselves. And because she had, they would die.

She couldn't let that happen, not ever. Gripping her pipe tightly, she hurried back to old man Getsu.

The old man had just woken when Erza had come to him, explaining the state of things. The old man nodded, listening, finally suggesting they take this to the village head. Erza hadn t known they had one- but apparently there was, for situations like these. Or something like it. And soon, they were before the village head, an elderly, balding man, wearing clothes just as worn and dirty as any of the villagers. His name was Katani, Erza remembered.

"This is dire." He mumbled. "I -I don t know what we should do. We can't very well evict you- you ve done so much for us."

"And they'd kill us anyway, you know that!" Getsu snapped.

"Yes, yes," Katani murmured. "I am at a loss- what can we do?"

"We- _I _take it to them. He said one week- I ll go find them long before that."

"Erza!" Getsu said, his eyes widening. "You can't- it'll be too much, even for you!"

"What choice do we have?" Erza said grimly. "Something has to be done- and I'd rather die trying to do something than curl up and die."

"In that case," Katani said, "let us at least give you what we can, yes?"

"I'm listening." Erza said, nodding.

* * *

Genzi the guardsman was having a day as good as any. It was simple- sit on your ass until the boss said not to, and keep an eye out for people coming to the gates. This place was nice- not really a palace or a fortress (not that that's something anybody would say to the big boss), but it had thick walls and nobody really bothered them. Solid job- he got paid, and that was as much as he could ask for.

Which was why his day suddenly took a turn for the worse when he saw the stranger approaching the gates.

At first he couldn t quite make out what kind of person it was, but as the figure got closer, the outline got clearer: It was a woman, most definitely a woman. She wore black pants, simple sandals, and her chest was covered with white wraps. Over her shoulders was draped a bright red cloak of some kind, lined with orange, held together with a metal band of some sort. She had bright red hair, and carried an iron pipe. And suddenly it clicked in his mind that this looked exactly like the girl the others had been talking about, the one that had the big boss all rattled- and quickly, he scrambled to his feet, leaning over the wall, shouting, "Oi! Stop!"

The woman ignored him, walking right up to the gate.

"I said stop!" Genzi cried, not really sure what he was supposed to do. "You ain't welcome here-"

Erza simply raised her arm, and let her spiritual energy rise. The gates looked sturdy, made of wood- but that wouldn t be much of a bother. Blazing her power on full for just a second, she took a swing at the gate.

There was a thunderous boom, and the gates rattled. Genzi was knocked off his feet, and when he got up he saw the gates, blasted off their hinges, lying broken inside the fortress. Deciding that shouting no longer was in his best interest, he kept his head down.

As the dust began to settle, Erza surveyed the scene. It was a crude fortification- thick, wooden walls all around, set on high ground, big boulders naturally part of its defense. Inside were several houses, what looked like barns, perhaps an armoury- and it was teeming with people, most of them carrying weapons. She felt an anger inside her- one she had let build up on her way there, carefully cultivated. It was a good way of pushing away the thoughts of how _stupid_ it would be to charge headlong into the lion's den alone. Stepping forward, she took a moment to try and sense for spiritual energy. There were lots of little fires- bigger than that of the villagers she knew from home, but compared to her they were like matchsticks next to a torch. Maybe then, just maybe, she could do this.

The soldiers, who had been shocked frozen by her sudden appearance, began to react. Massing like one, into a large crowd, they brandished their weapons- jagged swords, clubs, hatchets, axes. They wore a wide variety of clothes, better done than any she had seen in the village- stolen, probably. More men were streaming out of the house, and the crowd was only getting bigger. Time to do something.

"I have come for Amatsuki Kansei!" She declared loudly, and with more boldness than she really felt. "Get out of my way, and you will not be hurt." She smacked the pipe against her palm, ready to charge.

"That's some nerve." One of the men in the front said. "One lil girl, full of herself cos she beat up some losers, comin to beat the lot of us?"

There was a wave of approving jeers from the men in the crowd, and it was obvious they weren't backing down. Not that Erza had counted on it. The hard way it was, then.

"Get her!" The command came, and the men advanced, brandishing their weapons. Erza steeled herself. However strong she was, there would be no way for her to win if she got surrounded, bogged down- no, there was only one way: shock and awe.

Instantly, she let her reiatsu rise and flare. The dust on the ground around her swirled and scattered, but Erza didn t notice- she had time only to feel the vicious, brutal cruelty of a melee. Putting one foot in front of the other, she hopped forward. She couldn't stop this charge, not let the momentum falter for one moment. She had to break through, or she would be weighed down, beaten.

And like a white-hot knife through butter, she carved through the mass of men, each swing from her pipe sending one of them flying, the momentum of her charge carrying her ever forward, almost as if there were no-one there to stop her. Erza swung, struck, hit, like a lumberjack cutting at an especially contemptible tree, and before she knew it, she had passed right through the crowd. Snapping out of her focus for just one second, she saw what she had wrought: at least a dozen men lay on the ground, groaning or unconscious. The crowd had turned to face her, but suddenly looked much less confident. Not letting them take the time to reconsider, Erza bore down on them like a fury, her weapon slamming into one fighter after another. Very carefully, she made sure not to go too far, staying at the crowd s outskirts, dodging the occasional counterattack.

It went on for nearly ten minutes, the crowd of men every now and then getting its courage back, rallying to fight her- and each time, she broke away, finding a new angle to fight, never getting cornered. Whatever memories she had lost, she still remembered how to fight, as it if was written into every cell in her body.

And then, finally, when the little fort s courtyard was full of broken bodies- broken, not dead- they seemed to lose their appetite for combat. Crying out in despair, with phrases like "She's a monster!" , or "It's no use!" , they turned tail and fled, scattering to whatever shelter they might find. Good.

Walking further in, still on alert, Erza looked around. It was impressive in a way how this was built- this afterlife seemed to have almost none of the technology she remembered, but still this had been built; people had organized and made it happen.  
And instead of being used for defense, it was being used to oppress. She grit her teeth.

Her musings were soon interrupted, though, by a loud, boisterous voice.

"That's far enough, young lady!"

She looked toward the voice. It was a man- a ludicrously tall man, probably no shorter than eight feet. His sleeveless kimono showed off bulging muscles, and his bald head showed scars, enough that it at least gave the impression that his look wasn t just for show. And more importantly, she could feel some strength in him- definitely much more than from the punks she had just trashed.

The man pointed at her, with a large, wooden club- it looked more like a small tree, actually- and said,  
"You go no further than this! I am Junei, his lordship's bodyguard- you will not pass!"

"Out of my way." Erza said coldly.

"Over my dead body!" The man exclaimed. "You may have beaten the others- but I am not like them. I will crush you, for my master!"

Erza stood up straight, not really bothering to take a stance. "Come on, then."

Junei charged, and he really was faster than he looked- but she was not impressed. Quickly, she let her reiatsu rise. Junei's club came down, and it shattered, breaking in two where it hit Erza across her shoulder.

"What- you-" The giant said, bewildered. "Impossible!"

Erza jumped, and slammed a foot into the man's chest, releasing a burst of reiatsu as she did. He staggered back, toppling into a wall.

"You come to my home, and threaten my people with slavery and death." She said coldly. _"Just who the hell do you think I am?!"_

Junei grunted, mumbling something incoherent.

"Don't get up." Erza said, walking past him.

Erza walked further in, into the largest building inside the fortification s walls- no doubt where the warlord was hiding. She felt surprised at how easy it had been so far- that bodyguard, she had felt his power as he struck and felt like there was no force behind his attack at all. Was he weak, or was she strong?

Deciding not to get distracted, she looked around. Here inside, there was a great hall- high ceiling, with little window hatches letting light in. It was poorly lit, though, the rays of light only emphasizing how many shadowy corners there were. There was a rug on the floor, long and large, and towards its end there was a chair- large, and probably quite expensive by the standards of this district. And sitting upon it was a man, who looked not old, but certainly not young. Black hair, tied in a ponytail, with a thin mustache. He wore a purple kimono, and had a sword by his side. Was this he?

"Amatsuki Kansei?" Erza said, walking up closer.

"You're Erza Scarlet." The man said, sounding irritated. "Yes, it is me- and you ve caused me quite a few problems, little girl."

"I came to warn you. Erza said resolutely." Leave my village alone, or-"

"Or what?" The warlod spat. "You beat a lot of people, but you didn't kill anyone- I ain't afraid of threats from softies."

"I'll turn you over to the Gotei Thirteen."

Kansei laughed, long and hard. "Oh, that s a good one!" He wiped a tear from his eye. "Priceless, girl, priceless- but that s enough. You ve done too much already- I m gonna have to make an example out of you."

"If that's the way it has to be." Erza said, holding her pipe up.

"I won't fight you myself." He said, snapping his fingers. "Tokkun here'll do that just fine."

From out the shadows stepped another man- one she hadn t sensed at all before, nor seen. Her eyes widened- he wore a black kimono and black pants, just like that Shinpachi had- was he too a shinigami? But he looked different. His face was thin and scarred, and he had the look of a man with no scruples or hesitations. His uniform was tattered, worn and raggedy, and he looked lean and lanky. His hair was light brown, neatly tied up.

"Good day." He said curtly, but with a sharp tone. "I am Toku. As fate would have it, I am required to kill you."

"Are you a shinigami?" She said, readying herself. "Why are you with these people?"

"I left that title behind a long time ago." Toku said, drawing his sword. Slowly, he walked up towards her, and Erza tried to assess what she could. He moved with confidence, showing the signs of a practiced fighter- well balanced, good posture, his sword held low.

"So now you're a sellsword?" She held her pipe up, as if it were a sword. This was not great- a sword was the better weapon in every instance.

"One must still make a living." He said dispassionately, and quickly, like a striking snake, he lunged. Only reflex saved her- quickly, she took a step back, just barely catching his blade as it stabbed forward, redirecting it past her neck. There was no over commitment to exploit, though, no more force in the attack than necessary- and like lightning, he stabbed, again, again, again. Stepping back, again and again, Erza parried.

There was no room to really think. There was no room to do anything but fight, try to stay alive, try not to be cut down. She had fought since she had come to this afterlife, and fought well- but those had been thugs, unrefined and weak. There had been the hollow, but it had been huge, so much slower to fight. This man, this ex-shinigami was quick on his feet, and fought with precision and form- rapid thrusts, followed by feints, quick slashes, repeating over and over.

Finally, she managed to catch the blade for just a split second, pushing back. Quickly she lashed out with her foot, kicking at his knee. Toku stepped back, keeping his balance, but the momentum of his attack was broken, and she was not about to let him take it back. Letting out a loud cry, she hopped forward, slamming her pipe down on him with brute force. That was the one thing she had, force- and she had to capitalize on any advantage she could get.

Toku, looking unimpressed, caught her wild swing as it came down, let it slide down the length of her blade, and Erza's attack bounced off. Before she could turn back, Toku moved forward lightning fast, cutting- and Erza felt the unmistakable, burning flash of pain. She staggered back, clutching at her side, where blood was flowing freely.

"My apologies." Toku said, swatting the blood off his sword.

"I'm not done yet!" She said, gritting her teeth. This was going badly- up till now, she had been able to rely on strength alone, but this man had enough power to at least match her own, and he was fast and experienced.

"Very well." The man said, charging forward. It was hell- it had been hard to parry before, her instincts having served her just well enough to counter his strikes, but now, every movement she made, made her body burn with pain, blood spilling down her side with every heartbeat. Desperately, she parried, trying to stay alive.  
Toku came down with a hard slash from above, and she tried to parry- but at the last second, he feinted, and stabbed forward. She moved her head aside, narrowly avoiding a fatal wound. Again he came, with strong, slower slashes, hammering down on her. Desperately, she lashed out, trying to make something happen- but with calm and precision, he caught her attack, used its momentum, and made her swing go high. Quickly, before she could raise her guard, he slashed again, this time across her chest- another inch, and it would have been her neck.

Erza groaned, staggering backward. This was no good. The pipe was too heavy, too poor a suit to a sword, and this man was experienced, a good swordsman. What could she really do?

Then, an idea came to her- a crazy, desperate idea.

Looking as if she was about to collapse, she let her arms slacken, her weapon lowering.

"Finish her!" Amatsuki commanded, and Toku lunged forward. The sword stabbed forward, stabbing into her gut-

And then, just as she could feel it begin to pierce her, Erza lunged forward with her left hand, grabbing Toku by the wrist. The sword had run through her, but she had a firm grip. Roaring, screaming with pain and anger, she raised her right hand, and let the pipe come down. Toku tugged, desperately trying to dodge- but there was no way out, not with Erza's grip. The pipe slammed into Toku s head, once, twice, three times, and the swordsman collapsed, blood running from his forehead.

Erza breathed heavily, trying to stay on her feet. The swordsman was down, but the sword was still in her- this would hurt Firmly grabbing the blade with both hands, she pulled it out, centimeter by centimeter. It hurt; she felt like she would lose consciousness there and then- but she grit her teeth, forced herself to focus, and finally the sword came out. It burned, more blood pouring out- but she wasn t done. And now, she had a weapon. Slowly, she grabbed the weapon's hilt, the familiar feeling of a blade resonating with her through the pain. She looked up. The warlord looked shocked- she was still there, still standing. Putting one foot of the other, sword in hand, she walked towards him. Pain or no pain, blood or no blood, she couldn't stop here.

"Wait! He cried. Don't you dare-"

The look on her face silenced him. It was a look of doom, of fury, pain and general unpleasantness. Fumbling, Amatsuki grabbed his own sword. He managed to draw it, but Erza swatted it aside. She slammed the hilt of her sword into his forehead, and the warlord sunk to his knees. Erza grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up.

"Destroy the village, was it?"

"To hell with you!" Amatsuki spat.

"Your rule ends here." Erza said, shoving him back to the floor.

"You better kill me, then." Amatsuki said, letting out a wheezing laugh. "Go on, then- there's no way I'll let those people live!"

Erza raised her sword. It would be easy- one strike, and one evil man would be dead. Everyone would be safe. One death for many lives. It should be right.

But she hesitated, because she knew it wasn't. It couldn't be.

"Go on, then!" Amatsuki roared. "What do you think you'll do? Hand me over to the shinigami? They don t care! They'd never convict me- hell, I got an understanding with them!"

Erza s grip on the sword tightened, but finally, she lowered her blade.

"I knew it." Amatsuki said, spitting at her. He looked less than impressive on the floor, beaten and pitiful, but he didn't quite act like he had lost at all. And to be quite honest, she couldn't say she had won. What could she do?

"Well then," Amatsuki said, getting to his feet, "unless you intend to do something, then I think-"

And suddenly, his voice was cut short, ending in a wheeze. Erza snapped out of her thoughts, looking at the man. He had collapsed, a pool of blood forming where he lay. Behind him stood a short woman, no taller than five feet. She wore black, and her face was cold and hard.

"What?!" Erza exclaimed. "You- you killed him!"

"I did what you did not have the courage to do." The assassin said indifferently, shrugging. "Holding a deserter- he really should have known better."

"What about the people he killed?" Erza demanded.

"I do not answer to commoners."

With that, the woman turned around, leaving a bewildered Erza behind.

* * *

Elsewhere, in an office in the Gotei Thirteen, seventh seat Nakita of division six was looking through the papers of a recent report.

"You say the hollow was dead when you arrived?" He said, addressing the young lad before him- Shimura.

"Yes, sir." Shimura nodded.

"And this girl had killed it?"

"Woman, sir. Definitely a woman."

Nakita shrugged. "So some random soul beat a hollow to death. With a metal pipe."

"That is the assessment I will stand by, sir."

Nakita nodded, intrigued. "Interesting. Make a note of her- what was her name?"

"Erza Scarlet, sir."

Nakita couldn t help but feel curious. Then again, it was a curiosity that would be sated soon- recruitment season was just around the corner.

* * *

**Longest chapter I've uploaded onto this site yet, and I'm rather happy greatkingrat88 was able to make it as long as it is. This chapter just goes to show that Erza is a complete and utter badass even _without_ her sword. **

**Now, im sure your asking why she had such a hard time with the hollow as well as Toku. They should be easy for her to eat. Well, they are...if she was as strong as she was before she died. **

**In this case, death has made her significantly weaker than she was when she was alive. She's still strong, don't get me wrong, killing a hollow with a pipe is proof of that, but she's got a ways to go before she reaches her old level of power. **

**As for why she wasn't good enough to beat Toku with skill alone? Well, since her memory has been effected by her death, she has lot a good portion of her memory on how to wield weapons. She still has some memory left, more than just the basics, so she's more skilled than the average swordsmen, but Toku's had many MANY years of experience. Its only natural.**

**Fear not however, Erza WILL be getting back to her old level of power eventually,...and may get even stronger then that.**

**Also, don't worry, Cannon BLEACH characters will be appearing soon. It wouldn't really be a crossover with them gone now would it? And rest assured, she will be interacting with them plenty once they do.**

**Thanks again for taking your time to read this. I would REALLY appreciate it however if you left a review. Any and all input is welcome and lets me know if we're (me and greatkingrat88) are doing a good job.**

**Also, if you have any questions regarding this story, or even ideas, please feel free to PM them to me or leave them in a Review.**

**Thanks again and have a nice day.**


	4. A Scene Of Learning

**BLEACH IS OWNED BY TITE KUBO, HIRO MASHIMA OWNS FAIRY TAIL, I OWN NOTHING**

**Written by GreatKingRat88. Enjoy and Please feel free to leave a review.**

* * *

Erza was sitting back on a bench, enjoying the sunlight. It had been almost a month since she beat the bandit lord, and though she had been injured- she didn't even remember how she got back; she had woken up lying in the middle of the village, where she had lain until the villagers had found her, dressed her wounds and put her in a sickbed- she had recovered quickly. Surprisingly quickly, actually- she remembered more and more about what it had been like when she had been human, and bigger injuries generally didn't go away in just a month, unless there was some healing magic around to speed up the process.  
Yet here she was, dressed in no bandages aside from the sarashi, the wraps around her chest. And though she still ached in certain places, though she still made sure not to overexert herself, she was, on the whole, fine. Her body was healing, the crisis was averted, the day had been saved, and things were generally peaceful. A ruffian or two had stirred up trouble since then, but just the look of her had scared them away.

Yes, word had spread. She wasn't just Erza Scarlet, one soul among many in her district. She was Erza Scarlet, the protector who broke the great warlord Amatsuki. People knew her name now, and there was word from other villages- people asking her to put out this and that fire, chase out bandits, fight hollows, find lost cats…  
And while it was very, very busy work if she replied to it- so far, she had cited health- it didn't feel wrong. Being appreciated for doing the right thing, protecting those who needed it, it felt… right. It was something she'd done before, when she was alive, she was sure of it. It was like it was who she was meant to be.

Erza's quiet reflections were interrupted, as she sensed two sources of spirit energy- pretty significant ones at that. She frowned, looking down the street. Through the village gates, she could see four people walking in. All of them wore black- the same dye of black that she knew shinigami wore. And all of them carried swords at their sides, long blades, and they carried themselves with the confident gait of soldiers. Making sure that her pipe was within arm's reach, Erza stood up, waiting for them to get closer. Not that she really expected them to attack- but you never knew, and it was better to be safe than to be sorry.

As they came closer, she got a better look. The man in the lead had greying hair, broad shoulders, and his face gave her a very down-to-business kind of expression. At his side, she saw a short fellow with sand blond hair, a muscular, balding man, and- well, the fourth one she knew. Shinpachi.  
Erza relaxed herself a bit. He was a decent sort, as far as she knew; he had sent her that medic like he promised, helped her back then…

Still, no cause not to be cautious. Deciding to not let herself be intimidated or impressed by these new arrivals, she assumed what she hoped was a casual pose, while keeping her eyes fixed on the approaching shinigami.

Finally, all four of them stood before her. There was a tense silence, neither she nor the grey-haired leader willing to speak up first. Finally, she said,

"What's your business here?"

"I am Konjiro Tokiku. Sixth division, eighth seat, as well as in charge of recruitment."

"Is that so?" Erza said. Well, at least they weren't hostile- probably.

"It is." Konjiro said. "We've heard of you, Erza Scarlet. The Gotei Thirteen is not uninterested in a soul capable of beating a class five hollow to death- or singlehandedly overthrowing a warlord, for that matter. You have potential- but it's raw and untempered."

"So I should join with you lot?" Erza said. Something about the idea irritated her. She knew of the Gotei only what the villagers had told her- and it wasn't very flattering.

"You would get the chance to hone your skills to perfection, under good pay, while serving a good cause. Is there something objectionable about that?"

"You know," Erza said resolutely, "as far as 'good causes' go, I think I'm all right here. When that hollow came, none of your people were here. People died, and God knows how many more would have if I hadn't been there. As for money- well, I don't need it."  
That last part wasn't entirely true. She and the village both could use more of it- they weren't dirt poor, but they were far from rich.

"You should think carefully." Konjiro said, and there was a funny look on his face. "This is a good offer- not a lot of people get sought out like this either."

"Well, doesn't that just make me special?" Erza said, almost sarcastically. "And what if I just say no?"

"You may not want to find out." He said, and there was something about his tone- just a slight change in his voice, subtle but obviously present. "We can offer you much- I think it could be safe to say that, in time, you would deeply regret turning the Gotei down."

"Is that so?" Erza said coldly, balling her fists. Quickly, she glanced down at her iron pipe. Easy enough to reach…

And as if Konjiro had read her mind, he casually put a hand on his sword. Not on the hilt, as if he were about to draw it, but on the sheath- innocent enough, but it spoke volumes to her.

"Senpai, please," Shinpachi said hastily, taking a step forward. "Let me talk to her."

Konjiro glared at him. "Don't get full of yourself, boy."

"Let me try." He said insistently. "I know her from before, remember? More flies with honey, you know?"

Konjiro nodded. "As you wish. We'll be waiting by the gates, then." With that, Konjiro turned around, the shinigami following in his tow.

"Shinpachi." Erza said, not sure how to feel. She knew he wasn't a bad person- but she didn't care for the tone of his superior at all.

"Let's sit down." He said gently, gesturing to a bench nearby. Slowly, Erza followed him, and they both sat down.

"You know, that's a nice iron pipe." He began. "You worked wonders with it. But your hands are made for the hilt of a sword- I know it. You're not just any soul who grabbed a blunt instrument, desperately fighting come what may. You're a fighter. A warrior. And warriors, at least here in the Soul Society, should carry swords."

"It's not about me." Erza said, feeling a stubborn need to be contrary rise. Who were these people? What nerve did they have to come to her home, and act like they owned the place?

"No, I suppose not…" Shinpachi said quietly. He looked her in the eyes, and smiled. "It's about the people you want to protect, isn't it?"

Erza nodded. "I… I don't want to sound arrogant, but I'm the strongest around. And there's bandits, hollows, all sorts of things… what would happen if I weren't here?"

"Erza," Shinpachi said solemnly, "you are strong. With training, I am confident that you will be at least a single digit seated officer- and we receive quite a handsome pay check. Protection… it's easy to think of it like standing between people and a monster, sword in hand, but it can take many forms. If you've got money and status, it can go a long way to help people too. If you come far enough, you could even protect multiple villages, and bandits would run scared just knowing an officer would personally come after them if they tried anything. You don't have to give these people up."

"Is that true?" Erza shook her head. "It sounds nice, but I'm not sure… life's not that simple."

"It's true it wouldn't be as easy as it were if you were here all the time." Shinpachi nodded. "But in the long run, if you achieve your full potential, the good you can do means a lot more than the good you can do now. Come with us- train, learn, push yourself past your limits… and maybe even trade that pipe for a sword."

Erza leaned back, staring up into the sky. Training, getting better… there was something about it that felt appealing. She had been strong in life, she was sure of it, and getting better was something she'd always strived for. But still, this was… home, of a kind.

"And if I say no?" This was the crucial question.

Shinpachi sighed. "The Gotei does not like power not under their control. You just beat a warlord- what might you do next?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's not what I think." He said hastily. "But it's the way they view potential threats. It's an order that's a thousand years old, and staying in power that long made policies a bit… paranoid."

"So what could happen?"

"I can't say for sure. But strong people who won't co-operate could easily become an enemy of the Gotei. And enemies of the Gotei… tend to die."

"They could try."

"And they'd succeed." Shinpachi said plainly. "You're strong- but there are people who could mop the floor with you like you'd beat down a little kid."

"So why would I want to join people like those?"

"Because there are good people there, too. Because you can do a lot of good, because what we do keeps the worlds in balance… there's a dozen good reasons. The decision is yours, but it will be difficult if you turn us down."

"I'll think about it." Erza said. Stall, stall for time for now- this was uncomfortable enough, coming out of nowhere, and she needed to think.

"All right." Shinpachi nodded, and stood up. "I'll come back tomorrow- is that time enough?"

"Sure." She mumbled.

"All right then. Good luck, Erza-san." And with that, he walked down to the gates, to his companions. His superior did not seem all too happy, but Shinpachi spoke with him, and whatever he said was apparently good enough. Soon, they were all gone from the village, leaving a confused, irritated Erza. Just an hour ago, things had been fine. They had been dandy before these… shinigami had decided to just walk in here like they owned the place- like they owned her. And now she had a choice to make, and there was no getting away from it. Trying to shake her bad mood off, she went back into the house, where old man Kitsu was sitting, doing nothing in particular. Some sagely advice would be nice right now, and although the old man was not sagely per se, he would just have to do.

Erza sat down, and apparently her mood was not well masked; before long Kitsu spoke up:  
"Is something the matter, dear child?"

"No." She shook her head. "Well, yes- there were some shinigami here just now, and they want me to join them, and there's kind of an 'or else' attached to the offer."

"Oh dear." Getsu said, frowning, and his wrinkled face got more wrinkled still. "Or else?"

"They said 'difficult'. It would be 'difficult' if I said no. One of them, the one who helped me back then, with the hollow, said they think of people who are strong as enemies- if they're not allies."

Getsu spat, and nodded. "That sounds like them, all right. A bunch of simpleminded thugs who see everything in black and white, that's the shinigami."

"So what do I do? I don't really want to go- but they said I could help you if I did. They said there'd be good money- that that could help you all even more." She paused. "Would it?"

Getsu grumbled, and nodded. "Money can get you a lot of things. Food, tools, even protection." He looked at her, and there was a glimmer in his eye. "Child, listen. You are strong- much stronger than I thought. I never thought anybody out here could kill a monster like that hollow back then, but you managed. I thought the warlord was absolutely powerful, but you knocked him off his throne in an afternoon. You're meant for bigger things than this- and maybe, just maybe, the Gotei Thirteen is the path you need to walk to get there."

Erza blinked. "Didn't you say they were a bunch of simpleminded thugs?"

"Ah, yes- but as much as we hate them for not being here, for protecting nobles more than us- there's still good people there. And more importantly," he said, grinning mischievously, "you could always get as strong as possible- stronger than any of their lot- and then rebel all you please. With training and strength under your belt, I don't think many of them could threaten you."

"That… I hadn't thought about that." Erza said thoughtfully. "Yeah, I could do that- go there, be one of them… and if I don't like them, then to hell with them."

"Good girl." Getsu said happily. "Just don't lose your way- remember who you are, and don't let them tell you who to be."

"I'd never let them." Erza said determinedly. "Thanks, old man- I think I'll have walk. Clear my head some."

"You do that, child." Getsu said.

* * *

Erza's walk turned out to be rather long- in fact, it carried her far outside the village, into the now (somewhat) familiar forests. By the time she got back, the moon was high in the sky, and all lay in their beds fast asleep. And all that time, Erza had thought, long and hard, gotten herself mentally accustomed with the idea of becoming part of an organization she knew little about, except that they were powerful and didn't seem to care about the people worth a dime.  
She was strong. But strength was relative, and compared to the people she might meet, she might be weak. But even so, she would give it her all, to grow and reach a pinnacle, to be the best she could be. And then, if she gained anything like real power, she could use it to help the people here… maybe even change the system from within. It was the Fairy Tail way- never give up, never do ill. A part of her thought that maybe changing people like those would be impossible- but she quickly pushed that aside. If it would be hard, she would just have to try harder. That was the Fairy Tail way of doing things, and it was her way of doing things.

As she walked through the main street of the village, the moonlight painting a pale and almost surreal picture with its pale, bleak palette of color's, she made her mind up. She would leave here- but she would come back. She would train, get stronger, and find her own way in this afterlife.

* * *

As promised, Shimura Shinpachi came by the next day, alone this time. It was early morning, and Erza was waiting for him just outside her house, standing tall in the street. She watched him come closer with trepidation, anxiety- and excitement. He was like a harbinger of change, if she were to allow herself a bit of drama- he represented the next step in her journey.

"Good morning, Miss Erza." He said politely as he came closer, finally standing in front of her.

"Morning."

"I won't bother with small talk- that's not what I am here for. Have you made a decision?"

She nodded. "I have."

After short silence, he said,  
"…and that choice is?"

"I will accept your offer." She said resolutely, balling her fists. "I'll come with you. I'll train, get strong- and if I don't like the Gotei, then I won't stay."

Shinpachi smiled. "I'd like to say that an attitude like that won't get you far in the Gotei Thirteen- there are strict rules, and our Captain Commander has little patience for insubordination. But in reality, some of our finest are rowdy and anarchic, too- there will be a place where you'll fit in, even if you end up resenting our organization."

"…good, then." Erza mumbled. "Are we supposed to go right now? I don't want to leave without saying goodbye."

"I'm not heartless, you know." Shinpachi said. "We're not in a rush- we've got two days, if we need it. Say your goodbyes, and we'll walk back when you're ready."

"Thanks." Erza said, a little relieved.

And so, after packing some very few, meagre belongings, Erza summoned what villagers were around, before it was time for work. They had already known what the shinigami from yesterday had come to ask- gossip spreads fast in a small village. Heartfelt well-wishing was given, a few tears were shed by the village children, and Erza assured them she'd be back one day- and just like that, there was no more reason to delay. Finally, she headed for the village gates, for the last time in a long while. But not forever, she reminded herself- not forever.

"Shall we?" Shinpachi asked.

Erza just nodded. They began walking, Shinpachi leading the way. Erza felt odd; parts sad, parts excited, parts guilty for leaving these people behind. Shinpachi seemed to understand well enough to keep quiet, to leave her to her thoughts, and Erza appreciated it. Quietly, the two of them walked, walked all day, stopping only to eat, and eventually sleep.

On the second day, Erza began to wonder just how far it had to be- she considered asking, but felt it unnecessary. They'd get there when they got there; no need to fuss.

And just past lunch time, she saw it in the distance. It was a white city, almost gleaming, so incredibly large that it seemed to cover half the horizon, from where she stood. As they got closer, she tried her best to take it all in- streets, barracks, houses, spires, people scuttling about in the distance, tiny little figures in black uniforms on patrol, growing less tiny as she got closer. It was a military hub, all right- people marching, people training, people standing guard; it all looked clearer to her as she got closer. It was at once beautiful and intimidating.

Eventually, they got close, finally entering the city. Shinpachi passed a guard, a veritable giant, and after showing him some papers, they headed into the city itself. It was a little overwhelming. Whoever built the city built it well; the architecture was foreign to her, but beauteous to look at- but at the same time it conveyed a hardness, an impression of strength and solidity. It was full of straight lines, built to be practical, probably by the hand of an architect with a military purpose in mind. It was overwhelming, each building so much taller, so much a part of a structure larger than herself. Which was probably intentional, now that she thought of it.

Quickly, she shook off those feelings. She wasn't afraid. This was new and she didn't know her place in this world, but that was all it was.

Finally speaking up, she said,

"So… where exactly are we going?"

"I'll drop you off at the academy." Shinpachi said.

"The academy?"

"All shinigami must endure years of training." Shinpachi explained. "In three years' time, you will be a fully-fledged shinigami. For now, you are but a novice- a child."

"A child, huh?" Erza said, not caring much for that thought.

"Be humble before your tutors, that's my advice. You may be stronger than most, but you lack skill and knowledge- as do all new recruits. Well, almost all."

Well, true enough, but it didn't stop her from frowning a little.

She was led through the streets, and after a while- a rather long while, it felt like- they reached a sturdy-looking white building, large and expansive. There seemed not to be a lot of shinigami around, but plenty of men and women with white shirts. The men wore black pants, she noticed, while the women wore red.

"This is the academy." Shinpachi said. "And it will be your new home for a while."

"…I see." She mumbled, still taking it all in. So much was new, so much was alien.

"And this is where I leave you."

"Wait, what?"

"Go straight into that building, and tell them you're a recruit. Your name should be in there- they'll give you a room and a uniform. Everything will be sorted, don't worry."

"I…"

"You'll do fine, I know it." Shinpachi said gently. "But duty calls. I will see you later, Miss Erza."

With that, he turned around, and walked away.

"Bye." She mumbled. Well, damn- she felt a little lost, like she was a little child after all- but angrily, she shook that off. She was Erza Scarlet, and just being someplace new wasn't scary. Well, a little in a way, but damn well not in such a way that it was a real obstacle. Resolutely, she marched towards the building Shinpachi had pointed to.

Being resolute, it turned out, was easier said than done. Once she had marched into the building, she came into a hall of some kind. The walls and floor were a practical kind of white and grey, and some official-looking people sat down at the far end by equally practical-looking desks. Well, what was she supposed to do now? Who should she talk to?

She looked around. She wasn't alone, at least- there were maybe a dozen people there, looking a bit lost and awkward, wearing no uniforms. Some wore rags, she noticed, like somebody had just cut three holes in a sack and used it as a tunic. Others wore modest kimonos; two or three wore what looked like quality kimono, brightly colored. Hesitantly-but-also-resolutely, Erza walked forward, towards the group of what she assumed were fellow recruits. She wasn't quite sure what to say- best keep it simple. A "hello" might be good.

As if the universe was intent on solving this incredibly minor problem, one man turned to face her, a cocky grin- or at least, it looked like, what he really wanted a cocky grin to be- on his face. He was tall, broad of shoulder, blond, and wore an expensive-looking bright blue tunic, lined with gold.

"Well, hello there." He said. "Man, what a relief- this group is seriously lacking in cute girls."

Erza, not quite knowing what to say to that, just stared.

"My name is Shinyu Sensuke." He said, bowing. "Of the Shinyu house. My family didn't want me to enlist, but I'm a man of action- and you have to do your part for King and Afterlife, and all that."

"One has to wonder," came a dry-sounding voice from behind him, "if your pickup lines will ever work on any sane woman." Erza looked, and behind Sensuke there was a man in a worn, dirty kimono that looked like it had once been grey, but with time had become some indescribable shade of brown. His face looked worn; he was not quite old but not quite young either, and his hair was a dull shade of black.

"Shut it, commoner." Sensuke murmured awkwardly.

"What is your name?" Erza said, turning to the black-haired person. He seemed a bit less… direct.

"Lupon Remon." He said sourly. ""Sixty-seventh district. Piss poor place- I guess I hit the jackpot, being recruited here." He said sourly, sounding nothing like he was in a jackpot-y kind of mood. "And you are?"

"Erza Scarlet." She said, nodding eagerly. "I only came here a month or so ago, and got recruited a couple of days ago."

"Erza…" Sensuke said. "That's a real sweet name."

"It is the name of a person much more fearsome than you." A third voice came. It was a woman- looking young enough, with chestnut brown hair, a couple of spectacles and a modest, white-ish kimono. "She is the one who beat a major class hollow to death, weeks after arriving here."

"How do you know?" Erza asked.

The woman shrugged. "I read the news." She extended a hand. "My name is Akane Marisa. Don't pay those two any mind- we're not all of us simple."

"I'm plenty simple myself." Erza said, shaking her hand. "But I don't hold being complex against anybody. Or being hit on, for that matter. Let's all get along, shall we?"

Sensuke grinned. "Does that mean I have a chance?"

Erza eyed him top to toe, then said a simple  
"No."

Marisa giggled at the disappointed look on Sensuke's face; even Lupon seemed less sour.

"So," Erza began, "what do we actually do now that we're all here?"

"We go over to those desks, get registered." Lupon said, pointing. "It's no rush, though- they call your name when it's your turn."

Sure enough; one by one, people were being called up, each person being processed and sent on their way. It took its time, but finally Erza's name got called. She walked up to the desk, where a balding clerk of a shinigami was taking notes. After giving her name, and some personal information- height, weight, motivation, that sort of thing- she was given a set of student's robes in her size, a few books, and instructions on how to reach the dorms. Waving to her new acquaintances, Erza went on her way, and after some time- probably half an hour longer than necessary- she finally found what she hoped was her room, in a long winding and rather worn-looking corridor. Walking in, she found a room far better than she expected- two quality futons, with covers that looked perfectly whole, and two pillows. A simple book case, and an euqally simple but sturdy desk, presumably for studying. White, furnished walls. One window, overlooking what looked like a training ground. All in all, a place far more qualitative than her old home.

But far less warm, she thought.

Sighing, she put her new outfit down on one futon, and began undressing. Her old kimono wasn't bad, but the school uniform looked brand new, and well made- and if she was a student, she might as well look the part. Quickly, she slid out of her old, worn kimono. So, this was life now...

Her musings, which barely had had the time to take off, were interrupted as someone else walked into the room. Erza, realizing she was naked, spun around- damn it!  
She breathed a sigh of relief, though- the person in the doorway was the girl from before, Akane Marisa.

"Well, that's quite the sight." She said dryly.

"Um, uh, yeah." Erza said, quickly putting on her new uniform. It fit rather well, but was a little tight across the chest- well, such was life. "Uh, sorry about..."

"No need to apologize." Marisa said, smiling slightly. "They usually put girls with girls and boys with boys, so you've nothing to worry about."

"...that's good, then."

"Shall we head down to the armoury?" Marisa said, changing into her uniform as well.

"The armoury?"

There was a satisfied look in Marisa's face. "We're meeting our instructor there, and... that's where we get our swords."

"Oh!" Erza said. Swords- now swords, she understood, and it had been too long since she held one. "Yes, let's go there now. Um... do you know the way?"

"I familiarized myself with the basics of this academy before coming here." Marisa replied. "Just follow me- we'll find our way there."

A little while later, the two of them stood before an ominous-looking metal door, along with quite a few other new students, all of them looking a mixture of lost and excited. The air was full of chatter, excitable talk between people young and old, embarking on a completely new adventure. Erza couldn't help but be caught up- this was pretty exciting.

Soon, though, the idle murmuring was interrupted, as there was a loud shout. Erza and the other recruits all looked towards the source of the noise, and saw a scarred, bald shinigami with a mean expression on his face, his arms crossed.

"Attention, greenhorns!" He bellowed, his voice deep and coarse. "And stand to attention when an officer is addressing you, damn it!"

There was a collective scuttle, as the group- consisting of around thirty or so people- tried a beginner's attempt at standing at attention. It looked kind of comical, but the man in charge didn't seem to be in a very comical mood.

"I am Isao Tendo." He said, slowly opening the metal door. "I am the armourer of this academy. All zanpakutou are issued by me. If they are dented or harmed before you form a link with them, you come to me. Now, these are weapons- lethal weapons meant to kill. Under no circumstances are any of you allowed to draw them outside a training range. Drawing a blade unlawfully can get you expelled- these things are not a joke. They're dead serious." He took his own sword out, and held it up. "Look at this blade. Twenty-five inches long. Slightly curved, geared for stabbing motions rather than slicing motions. Sharp enough to cut a steel rod in half. And," he said, whipping the sword's blade out, letting it stop just an inch from the neck of a student. Said student let out a squeal, falling over with a terrified expression. "Just one false move and it could end your life- or somebody else's. You will each be given one of these magnificent blades that I have lovingly kept for years and years, and those who abuse its privileges will be unfit to call themselves shinigami. Is this understood?!"

As one, the class cried out, a "Yes, sir!", overall sounding pretty intimidated. Not Erza, though- she remembered these basic lessons of respecting a sword and what it represented; they'd been beaten into her a long time ago already.

"All right then." Tendo said, giving them all a vicious glare. "I'll call your names out, and you'll each be given a zanpakutou. After you each got one, a senior student will guide you to your introduction class. Keep quiet, and no funny business."

One by one, they got called up, one student after another receiving their zanpakutou. There were looks of excitement and happiness, people inspecting their new weapons- carefully, under the glare of the armourer. Finally, Erza got called up. She walked up, taking the blade from the armourer. She opened the sheath slightly, getting a look on the blade's edge- and suddenly, there was a flood of images in her head. The great old guildhouse, her old friends standing outside it, the entire guild… she saw past battles, she saw a young man with a tattoo on his face, she saw demons and monsters, and she saw herself fighting them.  
And just like that, in an instant, it was gone, and she was back in the now, as if nothing had happened. She blinked.

"Get a move on, recruit." Tendo snarled. "Next!"

Obediently, Erza moved away. This sword… there was something else to it.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" It was Sensuke, clutching his blade like it were his newborn. "They say this thing becomes part of your soul… literally, even. It's so… different." There was a look of awe in his eyes, and his previous cockiness seemed gone.

"It's a good blade." Remon agreed, walking up from behind. "I have to admit, it feels good in my hands."

"I feels right." Erza said determinedly. "God, I missed swords…"

"Did you use to be a swordsperson, or something?" Marisa said, walking up with her sword's sheath already tied to her waist.

Erza nodded. "I did it for a living. Back when I was alive. Holding one makes me feel… I guess it's like if you lost an arm, and got it back again."

"You must be a natural, then." Sensuke said.

"All right, everyone!" Their conversation was interrupted, as another student had walked up to their entire group, and spoken loudly to get their attention. "Follow me- don't be late for introduction. Come on, hurry up!"

Following the others, the four of them were led into a hall, where an older man, wearing black robes, was waiting for them. When they all had gotten in, he spoke up.

"Recruits!" he said, crossing his arms, "You come here today to learn to serve the Gotei Thirteen to the best of your abilities. It is a dangerous path, allowed only to the strong. Know that just being here makes you part of an elite- so do not waste this gift. You will learn how to use a sword, how to connect with your zanpakutou, how to use all the other arts- hakuda, shunpo, and kido. You will become soldiers, ready to lay down your lives in service of the greatest cause there is." He looked over them grimly. "As harsh as this may sound, know that shinigami are the keepers of the balance between worlds. Without us, the souls would not flow, and imbalance would occur, and eventually the different realms would collapse. The stability of the worlds hinge upon our efforts, and to be part of this cause is to be a hero. Nothing must stop you from becoming the best, and claiming what is yours by right through humble servitude."

There was a quiet murmur through the ranks; a bit of hesitance, caution, among the new students.

"Now," the man continued, "I am headmaster Tetsuo Kaneda. You will address me as 'headmaster'. As students of this school, you will be expected to give your all- to study hard, work until you ache, and become the greatest you can be. There are strict rules here- a rulebook will be given to each of you. Those who break the rules will be punished, it is as simple as that. And know this- though you may have been given zanpakutou, do not expect that you may carry them freely. Nobody gets that privilege until they pass first year kendo. Until that time, that blade will be kept in your rooms. Understood?"

There was a collective "Yes, sir!", and the headmaster nodded.

"Good."

After adding a few more words about discipline, strictness, and general shinigami stuff, they were dismissed. The aforementioned rulebook was handed out, along with books, schedules, and suchlike studying material. It was a bit lighter on the bookish side than Erza had expected for an academy- then again, it was a military academy; likely it would be more practical than theoretical.

The rest of the day flowed smoothly. There were just a few introduction classes- mainly it was about how they would learn, the times they needed to keep, et cetera. Today, it seemed, was all about the recruits settling in- but hard work, all teachers assured them, would start tomorrow.

All in all, it wasn't so bad. It was still new, still a bit strange, but not really intimidating anymore. She was already making friends, and she was sure she'd be able to handle whatever came her way. She was actually looking forward to kendo classes- swords, she knew. Deep in thought, she walked through the academy corridors, alongside Marisa. They were a little lost- just a little- but they were too caught up taking in the new sights to care.

They were quite distracted, indeed- as it showed, when Erza turned around a corner, accidentally running into somebody. The person- man- stepped back a little, and Erza just about managed to keep her balance. She looked at him- black robes; probably a teacher.

"Sorry about that, sir." She said. "I was just uh, lost in thought. …sorry."

She hoped he wouldn't be too angry, mostly because she was afraid of what she'd do to an abusive teacher. Luckily, though, he seemed not to be the abrasive kind at all.

"Not at all." He said calmly. "We were all new once. Just be careful where you walk, all right?"

"Yes, sir." She looked closer at the man. He had brown hair, a pair of glasses, and was pretty handsome- not bad.

"My name is Aizen Sousuke." He said, bowing lightly. "I will be your kido teacher. I look forward to seeing you there."

"Yes!" She said bowing. She was a bit awkward, but luckily this teacher seemed not to be bothered by awkward.

"I think we best get going." Marisa said, pulling Erza along. "Good evening, sensei!"

"Good evening." Aizen-sensei said, smiling and waving.

Academy seemed to be, on the whole, kind of all right. So far.


	5. School days and a Mysterious Voice

****BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo, Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. ****I own...Nothing. :(****

**Things got a bit crazy so I didn't get the chance to update as soon as I wanted to. My bad.**

**Once again, Thanks to GreatKingrat88 for writing this and thank YOU, dear reader for deciding to read this story. I greatly appreciate it.**

**Please review and leave comments on what you think so far. Reviews are HUGE motivators!**

* * *

The next day, early in the morning, after having had a quick shower, Erza and Marisa got into their robes, and headed down for breakfast. She'd been worried that she might not find her way, but everyone was up at the same time, heading the same direction- to a rather dull- looking dining hall, where a simple, healthy meal of rice was served to each student. Some, she noticed, wolfed it down- people she recognized as being from a poorer district. Erza ate quickly too, but moreso from an eagerness to see what came next. What would be next? Well, there was a schedule- handed out in twos to each room, one for every student. A quick look revealed a broad list of subjects: First introductory kendo, then an introduction to kido, then history, then literature- seemed even a martial school put emphasis on less hands-on subjects, and though Erza did not groan, she wasn't really fond of the prospect of going through dull ledgers either. And what else? Hand-to-hand combat, introductory flash step, strategy… it was a blur of subjects, most of them military-sounding- but not all.

Gobbling down the last of her rice, Erza prepared herself mentally. She was not a stranger to hard work, or at least she thought so- checking her memories, fractured as they were, it seemed that yes, she was not adverse to it- but she was definitely looking forward to some subjects more than some others.

After breakfast, the entire group of first years- about a hundred people or less, she estimated- were divided into classes according to schedule. Erza noticed Marisa, Sensuke and Remon in her class, and hurried up to meet them. Remon was quiet, and Erza recognised the look of somebody who was not a morning person- but Sensuke smiled happily, with an expression that she was sure was at least half grounded in an appreciation for her bust- but no matter.

"Ready for your first class?" Marisa said with restrained excitement. "I have to admit I'm not much of a sword person- but I suppose I'll have to learn."

"I look forward to it." Erza said happily. "When do we start?"

"In five minutes." Sensuke said. "So I think we better hurry. Um, does anybody know the way?"

"I do." Marisa said smugly. "Right this way."

Soon, having walked hastily through a number of school corridors- Erza wanted to stop, take it all in, but there was no time, and she supposed she had years to do that anyhow- the four of them, along with another sixteen or so students found themselves standing in a big, spacy classroom, where mats were stacked against its walls, nearly covering them. Up front stood stands and stands of wooden swords; it gave every impression of a place for training. Erza smiled to herself. Good.

"What're you so cheerful about?" Remon murmured grumpily. "Does the idea of violence get you that happy, eh?"

"You could say that." Erza said, her smile growing wider. It wasn't just the two of them- there was an unquiet murmur over all the class, students talking in hushed voices to each other, reassuring each other… it was an air off uncertainty and insecurity Erza hadn't felt before- so many people, so unsure what to make of what was to come next.

The murmur died down very suddenly though, and Erza looked to the front of the class- a man had come in, wearing a shinigami's uniform. Their teacher? She had a closer look-

"Good morning, class." He said curtly.

"Good morning, sensei!" The class said as one, Erza included. She knew that voice!

"I am Shimura Shinpachi, your kendo teacher." Their teacher said, and Erza felt glad. It was nice, having some point in this school life in this first, alien day of school that was not so strange. Listening intently, she watched as her teacher- Shinpachi- kept talking.

"I understand quite a few of you have experiences with violence. That perhaps, some of you may think of yourselves as less than strangers with a blade. I am here to tell you that any such thoughts are childish fantasies. Before a real sword, before a zanpakutou, you are all children- even those who might have used a sword before. Is there anyone who would disagree?"

Perhaps there were, but there is a natural order of things that emerge in any place at all like a classroom, and that includes a tendency to not, for the life of you, talk back to a teacher, because that was just a recipe for making a fool out of yourself. The class was silent, and Shinpachi- Shimura-Sensei- looked satisfied.

"I thought so, yes. I imagine you're wondering when we start actually swinging swords around- but before we even get to the wooden ones, I have a question that needs answering. That question is: _why_ are you all children before a sword?"

No-one dared answer.

"Come on." Shinpachi said patiently. "Surely at least one of you can answer? I'd be very disappointed if I had to answer myself."

Hesitantly, Sensuke raised an arm. The bravado from before was still there, a slight self-assurance- but reduced and minimalized, so different from before.

"Yes, Mr. Shinyu?" Shinpachi said.

"Um," Sensuke said, trying to sound confident, "it's because we're all very… inexperienced?"

"Not good enough." Shinpachi said dismissively, and Sensuke sunk back. "Anyone else? Does anyone here know the point of a sword- not just that it's a long, sharp stabbing implement made of metal, but what _else_ it is?"

Erza raised her hand. Peers be damned, this was the one part she was supposed to be any good at.

"Miss Scarlet?"

"A sword…" She began, trying to find the right word. "A sword is a long stabbing implement like you said, sensei. But it's _because_ it's a stabbing implement that it means more."

"Oh?" Shinpachi said, with a slightly intrigued voice, which, in authority figures, Erza had come to recognize as a tone meaning 'you're on thin ice'.

"It means the potential for serious harm. With a sword, I could cut your arm off- or your head. And if I don't know how to use it, I might. If I don't respect the power a sword has, then I could end up hurting or even killing other people- or myself. It's not just about the sword- it's about the creed you have to follow if you're dedicated to using a sword- not just fling around a piece of metal… I think."

Shinpachi smiled. "You're a bit thick, miss Scarlet- but as far as answers go, it certainly trumps no answer at all."

Erza, feeling pleased, smiled. She knew what a sword meant, of course- probably better than most. Vocalizing it had been a bit of a challenge; it was so intuitive for those who knew it (she certainly hadn't learned a creed- her mentors at Fairy Tail, as far as she recalled with her still-fractured memory, had just taught her skill and safety), but she seemed to not have made a complete fool of herself. Feeling satisfied, she listened to Shimura-sensei giving a short speech on that exact topic, on how none of them deserved to use a blade until they learned to respect it. Then, he paired them all up, reading one name after another, finally ordering the mats placed at the wall to be placed at the floor. Finally, everyone was handed simple protective gear- pads for the chest and shoulders, and a simple helmet- and a bamboo practice sword, a _shinai_

"There will be plenty of time for you to learn the basics," Shimura-sensei explained, "but for now, I would have you show me the grasp each of you have. How you hold a sword- how many of you know how to fight, and with what kind of form. The rules are simple- each pair will mock fight for five minutes, and each hit will score a point. You may only use your swords, nothing else. After five minutes pass, I will change your pairs around, and repeat. While you fight, I will observe who knows what."

It was simple enough. Erza took her place on a mat, having been matched up with some tall, lanky, awkward-looking young man. He gave her a clumsy bow, which Erza reciprocated, before immediately swinging his blade down like a club. Erza, though knowing how well she could handle a blade, hasn't wanted to be arrogant, to assume she would naturally win over anyone in the class- but deflecting the blow by redirecting its momentum, then counterattacking for a quick point, that was painfully easy. For five minutes they sparred, over and over, one quick point after another- and when the five minutes were over, the score was thirty-five to three. Looking demoralised, the young man seemed relieved when the pairs were rotated.

The next sparring partner was much the same story- inexperienced, Erza's form and balance was too much. Twenty minutes later, Erza had bitten through five partners, each time with similar results- if she'd kept score, it would probably have been several hundred points won to a few dozen lost.

Finally, Shimura-sensei called for them to stop, and there was a collection of groans, sighs, and huffs, as a whole class of sweaty, bruised students took their helmets off. It was rigorous work, swinging a sword around- even if it was fake.

Shimura-sensei nodded. "I think I've got a good enough idea of where you are. Almost all of you _are_ clueless- but we'll see about changing that. From here on out, none of you will spar each other until you know basic form- how to hold a sword right, how to take a stance, how to use the right conduct… there's a lot of knowledge to hammer in, and hammer it I will."

He looked around the classroom. "Of course, I said _almost_ everyone. Miss Scarlet, you've made a mess of everyone you fought."

Erza laughed nervously. "I just did my best, sensei…"

There was a bit of a murmur through the class, and Erza thought she heard some words- about her, about the rumours of hollow-slaying and warlord-beating and how it had to be all hot air and exaggeration but maybe not…

"Show me what you're capable of." Shimura-sensei ordered.

"Sir?"

"Take that shinai, and come at me. Standard rules, best of five."

"You want me to… fight you, sensei?"

"Did I stutter?"

"…all right." She murmured. She wasn't so sure about this- win or lose wasn't the issue, but everyone was looking at her. She did want to fit in, and this wouldn't be a great way of doing so. Still, she couldn't very well say no to her teacher either. Slowly, she walked up to a mat, taking a stance. Shimura-sensei stood opposed to her. They both gave each other a quick bow. Then, Erza leapt forward, striking quickly. She had no idea how strong or how skilled he was; there was no reason not to go all out. One, two, three, four- she hit, hard and fast. He countered each one- just barely, but he blocked her strikes. Still, on she pressed, unrelenting. She had to take care not to hit too hard- these bamboo swords might break.

She thrust forward with a stabbing motion, trying to hit- but then he made a small movement, redirecting the force of her blow to the side. Erza cursed inwardly; that was a sure sign he'd counterattack. Immediately, she pulled back, narrowly avoiding his thrust. Quickly, he lunged forward, swinging from the side. She brought her shinai up to counter- but it was a feint. Quickly, Shimura-sensei pulled his sword back and to the side, and thrust forward, striking her in the chest.

"That's one." He said. "Again."

Feeling somewhat annoyed, Erza took a stance again. He was pretty good- well controlled movements, practiced strikes…

Again, she took the lead, striking at him with a series of quick, strong blows. There were murmurs from the class, people looking impressed; all eyes were on her. Trying her damnedest to be faster, to outmaneuver her teacher, she struck again and again- stabbing, slashing, as viciously as a blunt, wooden blade would allow her.

He was fast, though, and seemingly prepared for her every move. She wasn't breaking through- his defense was solid. Had this been real life, with real swords, she'd have had room to be creative, to find new ways to cut, new angles- but this was a kendo classroom, with strict rules and limitations. Grunting with frustration, she thrust forward, hard- but Shimura-sensei side-stepped, let her shinai glide forward, guided by his own, and then took a step forward- right past her guard. Quickly, he raised his shinai and brought it down. Erza tried to move back, to avoid- but the shinai came down, hitting her collarbone.

"That is-"

"Two, I know." She shot back. "Again."

Shimura-sensei nodded, and the two took a stance, bowing to each other. This time, Erza opted not to be the aggressor- let's see what he could do. Prepared for his assault, she looked him in the eye.

Shimura-sensei, for his part, gave her a curious look. There was a slight pause, where neither moved- then he moved forward, striking quickly and with precision. Carefully, Erza parried each one, looking for an opening- counterattacks had been how he'd won the last two rounds. He thrust forward, then followed with two quick, hard strikes, then another thrust, all in the matter of three seconds- it was fast paced, and exhilarating in a way. Finally, she decided to try and make a move. Anticipating one of sensei's thrusts, she smacked it aside, quickly stabbing forward, shinai in both hands. Shimura-sensei moved, though- bending slightly backwards, moving to the side, just barely keeping his balance, and her strike missed. Quickly, she took a step back- and in just the right time; his counterattack was fast. Defending a series of sharp blows, she was hard pressed to keep up. Three, four, five, six strikes- finally, she hit back, intent on breaking this chain of attacker and defender.

And it might have gone well, hadn't she hit hard enough that her shinai broke under the stress her strike placed on it. It snapped clean in half, and Shimura-sensei stopped himself quickly.

"A pity. We'll get a new one."

"No." She shook her head. "I lost, anyway." She bowed, still holding her broken shinai. "I look forward to learning from you, sensei."

"Very well." He said. "You did decently for a beginner." There was a look in his eye, and she suspected the 'beginner' part wasn't quite honest.

"Thank you, sensei."

Turning and addressing the class, Shimura-sensei said,

"That will do for today. Tomorrow, you will practice form until you bleed- so be grateful there's no more for now, and prepare yourselves for some hard work. Dismissed!"

As Erza followed the rest of the class out, she was caught up by Sensuke and Marisa. The whole class was murmuring, talking loudly- and all eyes were still on her.

"That was amazing!" Marisa said cheerfully. "You actually kept up with sensei- and he's a seated officer!"

"I lost." Erza said dismissively.

"Of course you'd lose!" Sensuke exclaimed, sounding partly baffled and partly excited. "He's an officer- he's been out there, fought hollows, trained his form, learnt the name of his sword, the whole thing. You- you're a student, and you gave him that tough of a time. That's…" He trailed off, shaking his head as if in disbelief- a very cheery sort of disbelief.

"Umm…" Erza said, unsure of how to put it without sounding like a braggart. "I'm just good with swords. I used them all the time when I was alive."

"So…" Marisa said, looking curious, "are the rumors all true, then?"

"Depends on the rumors, I guess."

"They say you set fire to the bandit lord's castle, slain all his men and bathed in their blood, and after that you butchered a legion of hollows with your bare hands." Remon said sardonically, coming up from behind, and Erza wasn't sure whether he was joking or whether somebody just had a very vivid imagination.

"Well, I didn't do _that_." She said, shrugging awkwardly. "But I did beat a hollow to death once. I'm strong- maybe not the strongest, but I'm doing all right, I guess."

"You'll make officer in no time at this rate." Sensuke said, grinning. "We'll all be officers together, I'm sure of it- and you'll probably be our captain."

"I don't know about that…" She mumbled.

"Everyone was looking at you, though." Marisa said. "You looked really cool up there."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?" Remon cut in. "Before we talk about captainship and such, we actually have more to do than attend our first ever class. Right now, we need to be heading to-" he took a quick look at his schedule- "introductory kido. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?"

Kido, as it turned out, _wasn't_ very fun. Their lecturer, although not a very harsh man, had a way of boring her terribly, mainly because it was such a difficult subject to grasp- summoning energy from within? Using it as magic? You'd have thought magic would have come naturally to her, but this was… very different. It involved, apparently, manipulating your own reiatsu… and frankly, she felt clueless.

"Do you understand any of this?" She murmured to Marisa, while helplessly flipping the pages of her great big book on kido. What they had to do here and now was simple- just summon enough energy to make a small glimmer of light.

"Oh, sure I do." Marisa smiled. "Just… focus, and try to visualise this light you have to make. Then, you just force some of your energy into it, imagine it as a light- and there you go."

"I still don't get it." She groaned.

"It's not that hard." Sensuke said cheerily, a bright light shining from the tip of his finger. "It just takes a bit of subtlety- like this."

"Exactly." Marisa said, and from her palm a much brighter light flared. Sensuke looked a little dejected "It doesn't take a lot of energy- I had a look at the kido spells we're supposed to learn, and from what I can gather, step one- this one right here- is the most difficult. Once you get past that, it should be fine.

Erza focused, focused, closed here eyes and tried looking into herself and-

And suddenly, her sleeve was on fire. Frantically putting it out, slapping at it with her hand, Erza resisted the urge to swear.

"Well," Marisa said with a quiet sigh, "hopefully you'll be fine at some point in time."

The school day went past slowly, and the many new things were almost overwhelming at times. The last lesson before lunch was history, a subject Erza did not care for very much. Once they had sat down in the classroom, waiting only for the teacher to arrive, she sat wondering what the point was- would history make her better at swinging a sword? Casting a spell, or connecting with her sword? She hadn't had much schooling in life, as far as she could remember- Fairy Tail had had its instructors, but not much in the way of teaching non-practical subjects. They had been very… hands-on, so unlike this formal, almost sterile environment of learning.

Erza was snapped out of her daze by the arrival of their teacher- a short, old woman with white hair kept in a knot, standing at the teacher's podium. The class stood to attention, listening intently.

"Good day, students." She said, her aged voice ringing across the room surprisingly clearly.

"Good day, sensei!" They all shot back in chorus.

"Before we begin," she started, "I will tell you something you need to know as students. You may wonder what use this is? To sit here, listening to an old crone drone on about things past? When you could be swinging swords! But let me tell you, children, our past defines us. A sword-swinger without knowledge is but a brute, a machine for violence and nothing more. What separates a soldier from a thug is his knowledge and wit- and you cannot do without your history if you wish to become soldiers, because our past defines us. Without learning of the past, we can never learn from its examples, or from its mistakes. Understood?"

There was a chorus of 'yes' from her audience, and the old woman nodded, opening a book. "We'll start before the founding of this Gotei Thirteen…"

Erza, though still unimpressed with the subject, listened attentively- well, not inattentively at least. It was a fair point.

And finally, after a grueling hour of introduction, it was finally time to eat. Following the flow of students walking their merry way, first years as well as upperclassmen of various kinds, she came into a large dining hall, where food was being served. Settling for a simple dish of fish and rice, she took a seat next to her new friends, cheerfully digging in.

"Maaan…" Sensuke groaned. "I hate literature. Like, I seriously hate it with every fiber of my being."

"Don't be lazy, noble boy." Marisa shot back with a smirk. "We all have to pass it- and if it's too difficult, then that means you have to try harder."

"Books are a stupid invention anyhow." He grumbled. "It was probably invented by you nerds to keep normal people down."

"You are an oaf."

"And you are-"

Deciding to draw a line between playful banter and genuine insult, Erza said,

"That's enough, I think. I don't like it either, but it's part of the package. Besides, we've got Marisa to depend on, don't we?"

"Oh, thanks a lot." Marisa said sarcastically, but there was a smile on her face. "Why don't I just write all your assignments _for_ you?"

"That would be fantastic." Sensuke said snarkily, chewing down his rice. "I expect a five hundred word essay on the importance of the poet Sakabuta had on the era of rama-dama-ding-dong." He grinned.

"For the dream that was never made real, as a dream it was a beauty to have…" Remon mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Sakabuta." Remon said, shrugging. "You ought to try it some time. He was quite the wordsmith."

"Ugh." Sensuke said, making a mock expression of disgust. I am surrounded by nerds. Neeeeerrrddss."

"Me too?" Erza said, smiling.

"Oh, you're the worst of all." Sensuke said, nodding eagerly. "You're the sword nerd, whose encyclopedic knowledge of swords reaches epic proportions. Real shinigami don't need that!"

"Yes, I'm sure charging into battle without in-depth knowledge will work _quite_ well." Marisa said, half laughing.

"I'll have you know I'm a proud sword nerd, and I intend to be for as long as I live." Erza giggled, scarfing down the last of her rice.

Time really did fly, quite fast once she had got accustomed to school life. Her first day was over before long, consisting mostly of introductory courses, and the next two months went by in the blink of an eye. There was theory and practice, there was magic and swordplay, there was hand-to-hand combat and literature. In some places she did well- swords especially- and in some she did poorly, like kido and history… but luckily, she got by with a little help from her friends. And in turn, she helped them when she could- showed them a good move or two, how to hit at just the right time, how to intimidate and how you could solve conflicts with more than just violence. Although that last one, she had to admit, was not her field of expertise.

And before she knew it, two months had passed and she was still keeping afloat, still passing as a student. She continued to impress in Shimura-sensei's class, and she was dimly aware that people talked about her often. Maybe she was 'popular'; she didn't pay it any mind if she was. She had enough on her mind to be part of school drama. There were boys, of course- lots of them, all seemingly interested in her- or her looks, at least.

One event stood out among the others. Less than three months after she had first arrived, between struggle and excellence, between classes and filling her head with knowledge till she felt like it might burst, there was one night when something extraordinary happened. Erza had been laying in her bed, having taken an early night- done with her studies, she had only wanted a good night's sleep.

But for whatever reason, sleep had trouble coming. She lay in bed, twisting and turning, and no matter the position, no matter how hard she relaxed, she wouldn't quite fall asleep. It was a strange and frustrating affliction to deal with. She felt disturbed by the smallest things- by a ray of moonlight shining through the window, by the sound of somebody walking past in the corridor, by her covers feeling too warm... there was no end to it. And even so, _she felt tired_, but sleep wouldn't come.

Three hours later, Erza was wide awake. But, she slowly realized, this didn't feel very much like being awake. She tried moving her body- but her arms and legs wouldn't respond, and she felt confused- unable to even gather her thoughts. She was not asleep, she was sure- she could still dimly see the moonlit room, Marisa sleeping across on the other bed. But at the same time, this... state she was in was almost trance-like. She knew not for how long she lay there, or when it changed- but some time later, maybe a minute or an hour or several, she saw something like a vision. Through the plain, ordinary view of her dorm room, lit by the moon, she thought at the same time she saw something different. It was nothing but a blur at first, like gusts of wind moving dust about, but slowly it took the form of a wasteland- a dirty, arid landscape ravaged by dust storms and rocks, tumbling about in the air as if they were nothing but twigs and straw. And in this non-vision, in this non-landscape, so clearly visible yet at the same time so transparent to the vision of her room, she saw a road. No, road might be too generous of a word- a messy, worn-looking and downtrodden path, going up a hill.

And on this path she saw herself, wearing the same rags she'd had once she arrived in the soul society. And this Erza stood still, gazing out into this surreal non-landscape, ravaged by a silent, unending storm.

Well, standing still was no way to be. She willed herself to walk forward- could she? No, she could- this dream vision of herself obeyed her command, walking forward step by step, bending against the wind, and she could almost feel it; feel the merciless sand and dust whip her face as she moved. Yet at the same time, she was laying still in her bed.

Focusing on the non-world, she moved forward, looking upward. There seemed to be an end to that hill, and on its top were something else- a twisted, dry husk of a tree, defiantly standing tall in the face of the storm. And, she noticed, neither rock nor dust stirred around it; the air seemed completely still. It seemed like the right place to be. Struggling against the wind, vision-Erza walked up the hill, step by step. But no matter how long she tried, no matter how many steps she took, the hill seemed ever as distant, insurmountable, unattainable. Renewing her efforts, Erza forced herself to walk faster, moving onward- that hill would be respite from the storm, and though the pain from it did not feel quite real, it was pain nonetheless. But the hill refused to come any closer still, and Erza stumbled, sinking to one knee. Angrily, she cried,

"What is this? Where am I?! What do you want?"

If there even was a 'you' behind this, she didn't know- but it seemed there was, for the next moment the entire landscape shifted. The winds intensified, and the hill turned into a mountain- a huge, black mountain, with only the small, winding path leading to its top. Erza looked at it with surprise, anger- and resolve. She would climb that mountain if it damn well killed her! Getting up to her feet, she moved forward- but then the vision began to flicker, to fail.

"No!" She cried. "I'm not done!" She raised her fist to the heavens, as if to intimidate the world itself.

And then she heard it, resonating through her entire being.

**CLAIM ME.**

It was not a spoken word; she hadn't heard a sound. It was not a whisper or a shout, or a giant, booming voice from the sky. It took her a few seconds to even realize nothing had been heard but the howling wind- there had to be sound, right?

But there hadn't been. Just the realization that something, somewhere in here, had wanted her to come find it.

"Fine!" She shouted. "I will-"

And then she sat bolt upright in her bed, a film of sweat coating her body. It took her a few seconds to collect her mind- to see that she was back here, at school, and not in some barren wasteland. She touched her face, her hair, as if to reassure herself of its reality. What trickery was this? It had seemed real- very real, and unreal and surreal but somehow also _real_. It was nothing like a dream, not so hazy and unclear.

But then, like a dream, her vision began to slip from her memory, and she desperately tried to hang on to it, burning into her memory the image of the mountain and the tree- but so much slipped away from her, and there was nothing she could do. Letting out a subdued, frustrated cry, she slammed a fist into the wall.

She didn't get much sleep that night.

The next day, at lunch, she approached Marisa. It had been a strange experience, and she wasn't too willing to share it- it had felt oddly private, but at the same time she wanted to process it. Torn between ignorance and privacy, she finally said,

"Um... have you ever had any weird dreams?"

"I dreamed I was a ten foot tall man in a tutu, commanding the legions of hell against a crowd football players the other day." Marisa said bemusedly, lazily chewing on a piece of fish. "But maybe that wasn't what you were thinking of?"

"No." Erza said, shaking her head. And slowly, taking pauses to try and find the best words, she recounted last night's experience- the surreal non-dream, the non-landscape, the mountain...

"...and then I 'woke up'." Erza finished. "It was freaky as hell- do you have... any clue, or am I going mad?"

"Well, it does sound a tad insane." Marisa replied casually. "And a month back, I wouldn't have had much to say. But..."

"But..."

"I had something like that just two weeks back. I was by myself, at the bottom of an ocean, surrounded by stone pillars- and nothing made sense. I looked in the books, but didn't find anything. For a while, I thought I was getting schizophrenic. So I asked a teacher, and... he told me it's a sign of your sword trying to communicate with you. A first encounter."

"Really?" Erza said, nodding thoughtfully. She hadn't had any idea how that worked- it had started to worry her, even.

"Yes, really. I had that same dream two more times since- each time a little different. There's something in there, and I have to chase it... I think."

"Why didn't you say?"

She shrugged. "It felt... weird. And in some way, it was my... my something, you know? My own."

"I felt the same." Erza nodded. "For me, I think I have to climb that mountain... I just hope it won't mess with my sleep cycle."

"Well, don't worry- apparently, it takes a long time for things like those to really take root. You just have to work on it whenever it comes to you."

That same day, that very same lunch, Sensuke was sitting with Remon, and a group of his classmates. Though he wasn't quite the arrogant brat he'd been when he entered, arrogance coupled with youth makes for a special kind of pride that takes a long time to subside- if it ever does. Which was why Remon was listening disinterestedly, as Sensuke talked about their future- his own most of all. It didn't help, of course, that Sensuke had good grades overall.

"It's as I told you, man," Sensuke said, drinking some water, "once we get out of here and make officers, we'll be set for life."

"If we live that long."

"Sure we will." Sensuke said confidently. "You and I, pal, we'll go far- before you know it, we'll be captain and vice-captain. I'll be captain, obviously."

"I shudder at the thought." Remon said, his tone a tad acerbic. "The only way they'd let you that far would be if you somehow managed to- no, forget it. There's probably _nothing_ you could do."

"Pshaw!" Sensuke said playfully. "I'm talent, good looks, hard work- the whole package! How could they _not_ want us high up? Don't worry, pal- when I make captain, I won't forget you." He laughed heartily and loudly, and Remon, despite himself, chuckled along. Boisterous and cocky as he was, Sensuke had an air of charisma to him.

"Yup, before you know it we'll be riding a gravy train, as they say- the future's bright, man! You have to be optimistic if you ever want to get ahead in life, you know."

"Aye, get ahead…" Remon murmured. Then he noticed a figure behind Sensuke…

"I bet you the four of us will get top of the class- best there is." Sensuke continued enthusiastically.

"If that's the best the Gotei can produce, then I feel sorry for them." A cold, derisive voice came from behind. Sensuke turned around, seeing a fellow student- a short, young man with short black hair and a mean look on his face, lean and mean.

"Who're you again?" Sensuke said, only half paying attention.

"That's Rod Sentry from one of the other classes." Remon said. "Maybe you best keep quiet-"

"That's Rodrigo to you, Lupon." Rod said, once again fixing his gaze at Sensuke. "So, making captain, are we? Acing the class?"

"…I'm doing well so far, yes." Sensuke said, sounding a little deflated compared to before.

"Well, fine and _dandy_ then." Rod said sarcastically.

"What's your problem?" Sensuke shot back, standing from his seat.

"Problem is, I'm looking at a self-inflated bag of shite. Keep your mouth shut, rich boy- some of us actually work hard to be top of the class, and you're not one of them." He turned away.

It might have ended there, and no harm would have come to anybody. But Sensuke was prideful, young, and a little foolish, and in his head he saw no way to let that insult stand.

"Oh, that's rich!" He sneered. "That's rich, being scolded for having ego, and then you look down on me the same exact sentence. I don't know who you think you are, but you're a hypocrite with no manners!"

There was a glimmer in Rod's eye as he turned around to face him. "I just _love_ hopped up little nobs like you." He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Never had to work a day in your life, barely out of your nurse's skirts, and you got the gall to act like you're actually worth a dime."

Sensuke balled his fists, and looked indecisive for a moment. "You little-"

"You don't have the balls." Rod said dismissively. "Sit back down and eat your lunch, nob."

Frustrated, angry, Sensuke stepped forward, fist raised. He moved to strike- and then, in a flash, he found himself thrown to the floor, his arm twisted behind his back, Rod sitting on top of him with a knee into his back.

"Top of the class in hand-to-hand, nob." Rod said calmly.

"Get off me!" Sensuke growled, squirming. There was a stir now- one by one, all students were turning to look at them. Remon took a step forward, ready to give a hand if things went too far.

"Maybe you better stop there, Sentry." He said cautiously.

"You want some too? Bloody try it, I dare you." Rod shot back.

"Knock it off!" Sensuke shot back, trying to free himself, but he was firmly stuck in Rod's hold.

"Where's that bravado from before, eh, _captain_?" Rod spat. "You're just like the rest of them- full of hot air, but if you so much as poke, you pop like soap bubbles."

"Then why don't you try and pop _me_?" Came a voice, authoritative and strong. Rod looked up- it was Erza Scarlet, standing over him.

"I know you." He said calmly. "The hot shot of class two. A real damn tiger with the sword, they say. The legendary slayer of a legion of bandits and a host of hollows."

Ignoring his mockery, Erza retorted,

"And you are a bully."

"Bully!" Rod sneered, letting go of Sensuke, and standing up. Sensuke grumbled, rubbing his arm as he stood up.

Rod was noticeably shorter than her- but there was an intensity to him that, to the objective eye, made them seem not so different.

"A bully! Let me tell you something about bullies- bullies are the nobs sitting on top of society, with all the money in the world and none of the ails of those what live in poverty, acting like they're better than you 'cos they were born with things we weren't. That's _his_ lot to a tee."

"I don't care." Erza said resolutely, crossing her arms. "You hate the rich? Cry me a river. I see one man pushing another man down, for no other reason than that he can. That's something bullies do- throw their weight around because they're strong."

"Rich." Rod said coldly. "'Specially considering the one what threw the first punch was him, not me."

Erza looked at Sensuke.

"All right, I did…" He groaned, still rubbing his wrist. "He was being a dick, though."

"Well, that doesn't matter." Erza said, turning her eyes back to Rod. "You didn't have to do that- but you did. I'll tell you this much- if you're going after my friends, you're going after me. I don't have a lot of clearly laid out principles, but that's one of them- bully my friends, and I'll come down on you like a ton of bricks."

"Intimidating." Rod said dryly. "Hell, I'm all for a bout here and now, if you really want to throw down."

"Maybe I do." Erza said, cracking a knuckle.

"Maybe either of you _don't_." Marisa said, stepping up. "Are you both mad? If a teacher sees you fight, then the both of you will be cleaning toilets for a month. Stop being childish- we've got classes to attend, anyhow."

"…fair point." Rod admitted, shrugging. "If you're up for it, I'm all for settling this later- away from prying eyes."

There was an excitable murmur from the crowd of students watching- Erza was strong, everybody knew it, and before now nobody in the student body had challenged her like this.

"Maybe." Erza said. "That all depends on you- if you're going to keep acting like this, then maybe we will."

"Whatever." Rod said, turning his back. "I've got kido to go to now- and I think you lot have some place to be as well, where you'll no doubt squander your talents. See ya." He gave a lazy, sarcastic wave, and walked out.

"Well, that could have gone better…" Remon murmured.

"Damn…" Sensuke murmured.

"Sensuke." Erza said. "You did throw the first punch?"

"Yes, but-"

"No buts- no fighting unless you have to. Period."

"…yes ma'am." Sensuke said, and she couldn't decide whether he sounded defeated or sarcastic.

"Let's go, people." Marisa urged. "He was right- there's actual studying to be done."

With that, the four of them- walked out, and slowly the crowd dissipated. It was agreed later that it had been quite a good show- but not quite so good as what would come in time.

And so, Erza's first months in academy passed. She did make friends, and though she struggled, she managed to, on the whole, not mess up completely. Unbeknownst to her, she wound up being what is known in the mysterious society known as student body as being "popular". Strong, decisive, and charismatic, Erza made for herself a space where she was looked up to by some, appreciated by many, and disapproved of by few. It was the Fairy Tail way, perhaps, or just her personality- but Erza began to like it there. Though danger lurked just around the corner in the form of hollows and soldiery, it seemed like it was an eternity away- and for the time being, she enjoyed life at the shinigami academy. It was simple, full of hard work, and that was no more or less than she needed to be content.

* * *

**Well, there you have it, chapter 5. I know this didn't seem like much happened, but I wanted to just give you an idea of what the academy is like for her. Don't worry, 2 more chapters and then we're going to have her officially join the gotie!**

**Now, as for Shinpachi defeating Erza, I understand a lot of people will be upset about this. However, like it was established earlier, Erza lost a good portion of her memory. Because of this, her skill with the sword isn't what it used to be. If it WAS, she would have won no problem. But as of right now, she needs to get back to her old level of skill.**

**Kido was an area I don't think she would do well in, at least, not at first. Will she get better?...I'm not telling, you have to read more to find out!**

**And before you ask, yes, I DO know what we're going to make Erza's Shikai and Zanpakotu spirit like. By all means though speculate on what it might be.**

**Anyways, im glad you took your time to read this and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Please leave a review though. Nothing Motivates a writer to do better and to write more than a review. We can only imporove this story if we're told what problems there are.**


	6. Tutoring and Graduation

**Written by Greatkingratt88. **

**Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.**

**Oh god, I am SO sorry for the delay. College classes are a pain, and not to mention my old laptop charger broke on me but now im done with college, Im done till January 12th. Im going to take my time and ENJOY this break of freedom. I sure hope you all do too, you deserve it!**

**Thanks for taking your time to read this chapter, I hope you enjoy reading it.**

**Also, please feel free to leave a review. I would _REALLY appreciate it. Reviews are HUGE motivator's not just for me, but for my writer as well._**

* * *

"Step back! Everyone step back, ten yards at the least! The seventy-third bout between Scarlet and Sentry is about to begin! The combatants will face each other, await the signal, and then fight! Today's choice of weapons: bare fists and legs! No cheating- no low blows, no other weapons. Whoever steps outside the circle loses! Otherwise, the fight goes on until one participant can no longer stand- or we run out of time, and god help us, we don't want sensei chewing us out again!"

Resolutely, Erza slammed her fist into her palm. It sounded so weirdly formal, for something that had been almost intimate at first- her and Rod, settling their differences with violence. Rod had had a bone to pick with her from day one, and likewise had she not tolerated his rough, domineering attitude. So they'd taken it outside- during weekends, or free time, they d taken to battling it out, man to- well, violent person to violent person. And naturally, news of it had spread like wildfire, because students are among the worst gossips in the known universe. And nothing attracts a crowd, it seemed, like a good old fashioned fight. Already at the second time they fought, there had been an audience- one that had only grown since. People were bustling about, quietly murmuring with the excitement that doing something that was against the rules did- because this _was_ against school regulation most decidedly, but Erza suspected the teachers knew already- with the gleeful anticipation of spectators knowing they were about to witness something that was dangerous, but not for they themselves.

The chatter, though, was as naught for Erza, as she faced Rod Sentry with a grin. He himself stared back at her, his eyes looking as deceivingly tired as ever.

"Is it seventy-three already?" He drawled, balling his fists and stretching his fingers out again, preparing for the fight to come. "Sod me, don't time pass fast? What s the score now?"

"Thirty-one wins for me, thirty for you- and twelve draws." She balled her fists, taking a stance, and the crowd cheered as loudly as it dared without possibly alerting a teachers.

"Then let's even the score out, why don't we?" Rod said, his voice low. He raised his fists, legs spread wide and arms raised high. Quickly he lunged forward, striking rapidly, jabbing, feinting. By now, it was a dance Erza was well accustomed to- she knew his style, and he knew hers. He had been a good training partner, in a sense- where Erza was tall and statuesque, with a full form and strong muscles, Rod was short and wiry, and fast. Fighting somebody smaller was quite challenging- you'd think the bigger reach would have been an advantage, but as he had once explained, a short fighter has nothing but experience in fighting people bigger than themselves.  
He pushed her back, slamming a roundhouse on her that she just barely blocked with an arm- and quickly, she threw his leg off, counterattacking, jabbing him in the face-  
And of course, he dodged, somersaulting backwards, landing on his feet easily. It was always like this- neither quite able to really hurt the other hand to hand. Erza had an edge with a sword, he had one in shunpo, and in hand to hand they were evenly matched.

Rod spat, and gave her a condescending glare, gesturing for her to come at him. A provocative gesture, of course- not something she d be goaded by. But charge she did, striking rapidly- Rod, of course, countering flawlessly, patiently waiting for an opening. And finally, through her barrage of blows, he found a way past her guard, slamming a fist into her gut. She recovered quickly, before it could become a sequence, and stepped back. And once again, Erza found herself smiling.

It had long since stopped being about teaching a bully a lesson, really. Rivalry was the official reason for this, but somehow Erza just found this fun. So far, Rod was the only one in her year who was anything like a match for her, and training with him was stimulating. And something about the bruises she got, despite the ache that came with them, felt satisfying.  
And Rod had turned out not to be such a bully after all. He d been rough and blunt, but it had seemed his problem was that he just didn t like rich people very much- coming from a poor district, that was understandable enough. And somehow, after over seventy fights, she almost thought of him as a friend. She doubted he knew that, but it was still true.

Erza was snapped out of her reveries by a fist connecting with her face, followed up by two hard jabs into her ribs. She collapsed onto one knee, and only barely caught an axe kick coming down. Roaring back at Rod, she pushed back, overbalancing him. Quickly getting up on her feet, she bull-rushed him, keeping him off balance. Rod went into a roll, getting up on his feet- but Erza was there, head-butting him. He staggered back, but quickly came back with an uppercut- and Erza went reeling back. And now the two of them were again battered, bruised, and equally as stubbornly set on continuing until neither could move.

Or when the bell rang and recess was over.

And, as it happened, that exact thing happened, the bell sounding resolutely. Erza was almost ready to keep going anyway, but Marisa- who kept saying this was barbaric, yet seemed to be there every time- and Sensuke each put a hand on her shoulder.

"C'mon." Remon said, still standing at the sidelines. "I know you got yer blood fired up- but it ll ignite and burn if we re late for Shimura-sensei's class."

Huffing, recovering herself a bit, Erza stopped moving.

"Damn." She said, resting her hands on her knees. "Was it twenty minutes already?"

"Twenty-five." Marisa said, sighing. "Which means we _really_ have to hurry, or you ll spend five hours in detention."

That thought did not appeal to Erza very much, and she stood upright. Still, time issues aside, she took a look at Rod.

"Another bloody draw, huh?" He grumbled. "You're damn persistent, you redheaded little shit."

Erza grinned. Once she might have seen that talk as insult, but by now it was just jargon- rough talk without much meaning. "Who're you calling little, midget?" She shot back, holding back a giggle. "I'll take you on any time, you know that. You'll get your chance to break even."

Rod nodded, and there was the smallest hint of a smile on his face, the corners of his mouth just barely up-turned. "We're on for this weekend, then?"

"Wouldn't miss it. Same place?"

"Same place, same people- an of course, this is the time where you bite the dust once and for all."

Erza laughed. "I heard that one before- but well, I have to go. Later."

Hurrying off, Erza followed Marisa and Sensuke, rushing off to class. She only barely made it, and got a strict look from Shimura-sensei, but it was worth it.

After a demanding kendo class, with Shinpachi- Shimura-sensei- shouting orders to everyone and everything, it was time for kido. And while the lack of a drill sergeant-esque teacher was welcome enough, everything else about the subject was still alien to her. After over six months, she could still only just barely form a basic kido- and the higher level incantations were murder. It was like trying to do quantum mathematics while juggling porcelain plates, which made it all the more irritating to see Marisa and Sensuke both handle it so easily. She was not of a jealous kind, of course, but she hated the feeling of helplessness before the subject, of feeling like she couldn't actually do something. That had been the harshest thing- she had always had confidence, confidence in herself that she could do whatever she wanted to. The logical part of her brain knew, of course, that this was not _literally_ true- but still, she'd come here with the notion that she could really do this, really come through.

And kido was grinding that confidence to paste. It was so _subtle_\- it required you to master reiatsu control, and warp that into another kind of energy entirely, and then re-structure it into a large, complex spell. Her teacher, Aizen-sensei, kept telling her she was flooding too much energy into every spell- that she had what it took, that it was her basic control that was the problem. Which wasn t really reassuring. She was good at using a sword- sometimes she wished that s all she d ever have to do

"Scarlet." The calm, gentle voice of Aizen-sensei snapped her out of her self-pitying daydreaming. "Please demonstrate hadou number four." There was a range, set up in the classroom, for the occasion of target practice, though most of their current tutelage was focused on the basics of controlling kido. They had only just hit the actual spells themselves. Number four was _byakurai_, a simple lightning spell. Simple, of course, being a relative term

"Yes, sir." She said, standing up. Immediately, the people close to her moved away- her inability to control kido had become known by now, and a hadou could be quite volatile. Irritated, she pointed her fingers at one of the targets, and summoned the energy. Carefully, she visualized the magic she had to control, building the spell up

"Hadou number four: Byakurai!" She said boldly, and for a second she felt the energy flow out from her center, into her arm and out through her finger and for an instance it just seemed to_ work_-  
And then, of course, it went badly. The lightning discharged, around her finger and back into her body. She cried out with pain, held back a swear, and instinctively tried to force the energy away. In an instant, it again focused in her finger-  
And then it exploded.

It wasn't the most dramatic of explosions, just a small puff and a bit of smoke, leaving her with singed eyebrows, but it was enough to knock her off her feet and back into her chair. God damn it!

"That will do, Scarlet." Aizen-sensei said, and she could hear a few sniggers. Everybody liked to see others fail, it seemed, especially if it was somebody who was already doing well. "Next: Akajima-kun." Her teacher called out a new name, and she watched with frustration as the student fired off a rocky, but functional, byakurai spell. She clenched her fist.

Class eventually passed, at an agonizingly slow pace- in the typical irony of time spent doing things you hate always passing slower than time spent doing what you love. But eventually, class was dismissed, and the students walked out in as orderly a fashion as orderly could be without being a rushed mess of people eager to be elsewhere. Waiting for most of them to walk away, Erza finally stood up, frowning. Kido was a disaster- and after this, there was history, literature school life was hard. Annoyingly hard.

"Miss Scarlet?"

Erza blinked, and turned around. It was Aizen-sensei.

"Yes, sensei?" Great- now she was going to be chewed out, too.

"I noticed you re not doing well, well."

Yes, definitely a lecture. _Great._

"Yeah." She grumbled. Might as well get it over with.

"How long is it till your next class?"

She blinked. "Half an hour, sensei."

Aizen-sensei smiled. "Well, if you don't object, I think I could use some of that time getting you up to speed. How about it?"

"You mean, uh"

"It's up to you. But I am confident that one on one, I could help you work out whatever kinks there are."

Well, it didn t seem like a lecture, at least; that was always a plus.

"Sure. I mean, yes, sensei."

"Come with me." He said, walking back to his podium. He took a seat beside it, pulling out a chair. He gestured for Erza to sit down. Uncertain, she sat down at the front row, not sure what to expect.

"I know you're strong." He said. "You are a very capable person, Miss Scarlet- as I am sure you must think too."

"I don't"- She said, lamely trying to protest he teacher's praise."

"There's no shame in admitting to talent." He said dismissively. "But likewise, there's no shame in admitting to your weaknesses, to recognizing your limitations- and asking for help in overcoming them. Does that make sense to you?"

"S-sure." She mumbled. "Yeah, sure, I agree. That makes sense."

He nodded. "I think it does. So, what do you think your problem is?"

"Well, uh" She hesitated, thinking a bit. "It's when I try to form my magic-"

"No, not that." He shook his head. "It runs a little deeper than that. The question is, _what is your problem_, student?"

Erza frowned. Was this going to be a lecture after all? "I don't understand-"

"When you study. What is it that stops you? I had a look at your other subjects- you excel in hand-to-hand and kendo, and you score passable grades in literature and history. I don t believe you are a simpleton with an aptitude only for violence. Which, by deduction, means that something else is holding you back. In my experience as a teacher, it s often in your head. Now tell me, am I wrong or am I right?"

Erza sighed. "It's hard. And I m not used to this kind of hard. I mean, it s _really, really hard_. And when I try and fail, over and over, it feels like I can't do it." She trailed off.

"And then you have a vicious circle, where you keep failing because you lost the motivation to try." Aizen-sensei nodded. "I've seen this before, believe me. And some students are just that- failures. Roughly four percent cannot graduate. And Kido is one of the major subjects a student _must_ pass- and to be honest, in the state you are now, you will not pass."

Erza took in a sharp breath, for a moment feeling that sensation of a stone dropping inside her chest, of defeat-

"But I don't believe that is you." Aizen-sensei said gently. "I believe you have everything it takes. You just need a little shove."

"A shove, sensei?"

He nodded. "This is a fine school, but it misses some of the finer points of teaching. Like how each student has their own learning curve- yours is slower in this subject, and the course moved a little too fast. What I think you need is as much time as it takes, just mastering the basics- manipulating the flow of your reiatsu, controlling your power output. That is what you have to master first."

"Yes, sensei." She nodded. "That would be very nice."

"I will give you a simple exercise." He said, and reached into his pocket, retrieving a small ball of some kind. "This thing absorbs spiritual energy. I want you to practice with it."

"Um, how?"

"It is simple. Here, take it." He put it in Erza s hand; it felt cool to the touch. As soon as it came in contact with her skin, it started to glow a pale blue. "It takes on different colours depending on the amount of energy it takes in." He explained. "Right now it s blue, meaning you're giving it a lot of energy- you re leaking reiatsu all over the place. Concentrate, and stop all excess flow."

Firmly closing her fingers around the ball, Erza focused, forcing her reiatsu to stop- like turning a valve, slowing the flow of water. It was hard- like holding your breath while jogging. Still, she forced herself into control, and the ball changed colour, glowing with a dull white.

"That's good." Aizen-sensei said, nodding approvingly. "When you can get it to glow with a faint white, it means it's getting a minimum- no more than you need to expel to keep breathing, for your heart to pump blood through your veins, for your organs to work. That is what all officers do, to conserve energy."

"It's- it's-" Erza grumbled, her control slipping, reiatsu once again pouring out, colouring the ball an angry red. "Its bloody hard!"

"That colour means you re giving it as much as it can handle. Be careful not to break it- it can only absorb so much." Slowly, the burst faded, and the blue colour returned. "Once you ve learned to keep it at a white for five minutes straight, let me know?"

"Five minutes." she groaned. "Holding it for just a few seconds was like having the wind knocked out of your lungs! Sensei."

"We all started with just a few seconds." Azien-sensei said, smiling enigmatically. "And we all- well, everyone who matters- can do it at will, all the time. It may seem impossible to you now, but with a few years of practice it becomes second nature."

Erza gave him a skeptical look.

"You'd be surprised how many people have given me that look." He said calmly. "And you'd be surprised how easy it comes with practice."

"Yes, sensei. Thank you." She mumbled.

"It is my responsibility as a teacher to look after the needs of all my students. If a student fails, and I haven t done all I can, then I am to blame as much as the student. And that I couldn't stomach, Scarlet. "He looked at the clock. "But I think you've friends waiting, a lesson to go to- and undoubtedly short people to pummel."  
He smiled again. Apparently, her run-ins with Rod weren't that secret.

School life went on, as it had for the last few months. She continued to be at the top of her class in kendo, and though Shimura-sensei was harsh, her skill there seemed undeniable. She was naturally strong, too- nobody in her class seemed to have energy like she did. She didn't feel like she learned much of anything new, though- more like re-learning and rediscovering things she already know from when she was alive. Likewise, she did well in hakuda- she was fast, could hit hard, and move with agility, and though she wasn t number one in her class, she did well enough to have cause to feel some small measure of pride. Her more scholarly subjects were passable, in no small part thanks to Marisa, Sensuke and Remon- the latter of which had a surprising aptitude for literature, something which had saved her more than once. In between studies, friends and fighting, time was flying away- and before she knew it, almost a year had passed. And, despite often feeling like she had no idea what she was doing, she was slightly wiser and slightly more experienced.

"So I gotta ask," Sensuke said, snapping Erza out of her reflective daze, "how s kido working out?"

The four of them were sitting around lazily in the school garden- and a bit of good lazing was welcome in the hectic life in school, with so little time for anything but studies.

"Mmm?" She said, shaking her head. "Kido is still rather difficult- it s hard. But with Aizen-sensei's help, I get by. Sort of. I'lll maybe possibly eventually somehow get a passing grade. I think."

Marisa smiled brightly. "Of course you will. We all have subjects we re bad at-"

"Speak for yourself." Sensuke said, and though his cockiness was mostly jest, part of it wasn't.

"Yours would be modesty and humility." Marisa said acerbically. "Anyway, disregarding the pompous fool-"

"Hey!"

"You have to admit, she isn't wrong." Remon said sardonically.

"Yeah, but still." Sensuke said, looking sour- but he wasn't fooling anyone. Self-deprecation was a comedic staple for him.

_"Anyway_, we'll all make it. We've all got decent grades- a smirk passed Marisa s lips; her grades were far above decent - and we're doing well. We've come a long way since we first got here."

"We've" still got years left. Erza said contemplatively.

"Yes." Marisa nodded. "But we have to be confident. We have to believe we can do it, you know?"

Sensuke opened his mouth, and Marisa said,

"Except you. Be less confident and stop believing in yourself."

"I would if it were possible, but sadly I just ooze competence and self-confidence."

"And delusions of grandeur." Remon cut in.

"A bit of delusion never hurt anybody!" Sensuke exclaimed, chuckling.

"Say" Erza muttered. "Say, did anyone of you hear your sword talk yet? I mean properly- not just visions and weird echoing voices."

"It would be strange if we did." Sensuke said. "I mean, we're first years. Building a connection takes years. Well, so sensei says at least." He shrugged. "I know a little about this, since noble my dad has one, and it took him two years to learn its name, and that was considered fast. Very few people can sync with their weapon really quickly- only a few geniuses here and there."

Erza sighed. "I guess I'm just impatient. It s like I want it all and I want it now- I want to be strong, you know?"

Marisa nodded. "I know. We all want more but there s no shortcuts. As far as I know, at least."

"I'd take one if I could." Erza grumbled. "I swear, I never had to worry about this when I was alive."

Literally speaking, of course, it was true- but her memory was coming back more and more, and she remembered glorious fights as well as more tedious chores, so she hadn't much reason to complain. Then again, complaining was such a good way to vent.

"It'll come." Remon said curtly. "Little by little- like that ball you keep fiddling with."

"Yeah," Sensuke said excitedly, "is that thing working out at all?"

"I'd probably be out of kido if it weren't." Erza said plainly. "Aizen-sensei, he's pretty nice."

"And handsome." Marisa added, smirking. Sensuke shot her a look. "What? It's the glasses. Glasses are cool."

"Eeww, gross." Sensuke said, laughing. "But yeah, I guess it s true. Most teachers here are more like Shimura-sensei- and he's one of the nice ones."

"If you call nice making people do forty pushups if you miss one sword stroke." Marisa said.

"Don't be sour because swords aren t your strongest suit." Sensuke said cheerfully.

"Whatever." She grumbled. "I still think those pushups should be considered a crime against students everywhere."

Erza laughed. This- just this, sitting around with people she could call friends, people she had gotten to know, it was what she had missed the most. She still remembered in her mind the comrades she had used to live with- some, albeit, more clearly than others- but she had moved on and found friends. And as irksome as school could be, this life was becoming worthwhile.

Another place, another time. Elsewhere, in the dreamscape, Erza stood once more before the mountain. She had come here many times since last- not enough to count it in dozens, but enough to make her familiar with the place. No longer did she stay half-awake, seeing the landscape at the same time as the room she slept in. No longer did it come only when she was asleep- by now, she could sit down, close her eyes, concentrate and enter. She was careful not to do it when she was short of time, though- these reveries could last for ten minutes, half an hour, or four hours, and there was no telling when she would wake up. Sometimes she wondered if she d ever be trapped in there for good, drawn into this ethereal, surreal world forever. But even so, she didn t hesitate. She had a mountain to climb.

It had begun to be almost a ritual. She would climb, begin to climb that rocky, remote path, riddled with rocks and roots, steep and sharp and strange. She would climb- grab a rock, propel herself forward, walk in defiance of the howling wind and climb upwards. She'd look at the tree, and though it seemed she wasn t getting that much closer, she'd see the path behind her and realize she was almost a hundred feet up.  
And then she'd fall off the mountainside, an unexpected gust of wind knocking her down, or a loose rock, or treacherous ground giving in under her feet, or a root tripping her. And she'd fall, hit the ground, feel the pain of her bones breaking for just a second before waking up again.

And each time, she could see the footprints she had left there before, and each time she saw to it that she got one step further, just the one step, than she had before.

Today was no different. Resolutely moving forward, she walked the path, heaving herself forward. The path ended at a rock s face- no matter. Erza climbed the rock, struggled against its almost flat surface and the howling wind, got up, and saw that the path was still before her. Walking further, she trod carefully over a few roots. Seeing loose, gravelly ground, she spurted forward, jumping at the last second as the ground gave out under her. And just barely, she grabbed hold of the Cliffside, slowly hauling herself up. She moved forward, quick as she could, avoiding one obstacle after another. Then, as she set her foot forward in new territory, she slipped, sliding to the side of the path, just barely hanging on. She felt herself sliding, the skin of her hands scraping against the rough ground.

"God damn you!" She shouted angrily. "I'm not giving up here, you hear? You'll tell me who you are- if I have to tear down this whole mountain for it!"

_"You're so brash."_

It was a voice this time, an actual voice- gentle and soft, like a woman's. The shock of hearing it made her slip, and quickly she lost her grip.

"No no no!" She shouted. "Shit!"

And then she lost her grip.

And then she fell.

And then she hit the ground, blood oozing from her body as it cracked against the ground.

And then she sat bolt upright in her room. Damn. She was getting closer- so much closer than ever before. But these trials they were a hell of a pest, they really were.

But she had heard a voice. Not a disembodied thought, a command right into her very mind, but an actual voice spoken right next to her. She made a fist, clenching her hand hard, feeling her nails dig into her palm. That mountain- she would find her way to the top, one way or another. She d find that dead tree, find the name of her blade. It wasn t just necessary, it was essential- and doable. The mountain, though difficult, was not an insurmountable obstacle. It was a stepping stone- to harmony, strength and power.

And some day, she'd get there.

And in what felt like the blink of an eye, nearly five years had passed. Days came and went, meals were had, classes were taken, much, much reading was had, and more than a few bruises exchanged with Rod- but somehow, in what felt like no time at all when she looked back at the time spent, here she was, five years older, sitting again in Aizen-sensei s classroom just after class. They had move on to real spells, learning and executing higher level kido- and just barely, Erza got by. Thoughtfully, she twirled the ball she had received years earlier, now glowing an even, faint white. What had felt like holding your breath at first was now just a minor nuisance- controlling her reiatsu output took effort, but nowhere nearly what it used to.

"You've come a long way, Miss Scarlet." Aizen-sensei said, smiling lightly. "Didn't I tell you you would make it?"

"Because of your help, sensei." Erza said, tossing him the ball. He caught it, looking mildly surprised.

"I just gave you a shove." He said dismissively. "A small push in the right direction."

"Aye, once a week, most weeks, for several years. Now that's what I call a small push , sensei." She grinned.

"Are you being cheeky, Scarlet?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, sensei." She said, unashamedly pretending that cheek and her were as removed as the sky and the earth. "But I really have come a long way, haven't I ?"

"I remember a ruffian who came here, with not a care in the world for history or literature, years ago."

"And I'm still a ruffian by any standard, but I passed those subjects." She said proudly. "Seventy percent on history, would you believe that?"

"You can go far when you put your mind to it. It's just that your mind is usually put elsewhere."

"Isn't that the truth but at least I m still top at the class in kendo and hakuda." She stood up, stretching. "Anyway, what will I be learning today, sensei?"

"Well, I don t think I can teach you more. You pushed yourself- you learned how to form kido, how to control your spiritual energy and make it into magic, even how to perform the more complicated spells-"

"Barely."

"-yes, but still. You ve done it, and I don't think there is much more I can teach you. You re not a kido type to begin with- you'll carve your path with the sword, more likely, and you can come far enough with that."

"Yeah, I guess that's my way." She shrugged. "So I guess I'll just say, thank you , sensei. I wouldn't have passed without you."

"Don't mention it. He said, smiling lightly. But you better prepare- the graduation ceremony will come soon."

"I have time."

He shook his head. "You're young- you should spend your time with your friends. All this pesky, dusty teaching is over and done with- you should celebrate, not waste more time with your teacher."

"I wouldn't call it wasted." Erza said seriously. "It was hard, but I guess I'll miss it, a bit. You've been a good teacher, and now I won t see you anymore."

There was a look on his face, odd and with slight amusement, and he said,  
"Somehow, I am confident we ll see each other again. Run along now- I too have preparations to make."

Not being one to not take a hint, Erza began walking out. "Bye, Aizen-sensei."

"Farewell, Scarlet. Until we meet again."

"Until then!"

And with that, Erza walked out. What a strange five years it had been since she came here- she had been ripped from all her friends, everything that mattered to her; she had been alone and she had kept going. She wasn t one to toot her own horn- but in the privacy of her own mind, she felt proud of herself. She had a goal, she was moving forward, getting stronger; she had made new friends. And maybe, given what she knew about shinigami duties, she could one day find her old friends again.

A thought occurred to her, as she walked slowly through the school corridors. Could she possibly come back, one day, go back to her old life and stay there? She knew the Gotei wasn t exactly approving of what would effectively be treason but it might be worth it. Maybe.  
Or maybe not. She shook her head; no point in getting ahead of herself. And for once, her thoughts weren t interrupted- this time she saw her friends coming, all in high spirits. Remon, for once not looking sour, just smiling slightly. Marisa, looking happy in an unrestrained sort of way, and so was Sensuke. Joining them, she walked towards the hall where the graduation ceremony was going to be held.

"Time really flies, doesn't it ?" She mumbled.

"Speak for yourself." Sensuke said cheerily. "These were the slowest five years ever but they do feel shorter than you'd think, don t they?"

"Well, who cares?" Marisa said. "Soon, we'll be out there- once we ve applied for a division, we ll get to be real soldiers, finally carry that sword."

"You like it more than you thought, no?" Remon chimed in.

"Maybe." Marisa said cheekily. "Anyways, let's hurry- we ve got a ceremony to attend."

The hall was jam-packed when they got there, all students in their year standing in lines facing a podium, in the largest hall in the school. There was a preference for pomp and grandeur, Erza had noticed, especially in really official contexts. This, of course, was the most official context possible in this school, and more than a few teachers seemed pleased- very pleased. Up front they all stood, and among them she could see Shimura-sensei and Aizen-sensei. After taking their places, and waiting for ten-odd minutes, listening to the murmurs going through the crowd, there was suddenly a rustling, and one teacher called for silence- very loudly, at that. All heads, one by one, turned towards the entrance of the room, and there were a few excited whispers before the crowd finally went silent. Erza looked to where the rest looked, and saw it- walking through the door was the unmistakable figure of Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai, whose picture she had seen in books and portraits all over the school, the venerable founder of the Gotei and its commander in chief, the highest authority under the central Forty-Six. He carried a cane- a very large one, and wore a haori with the symbol for one on it. His head was bald, but his beard- which was enormous- compensated for that considerably. The entire crowd watched him in awe, as he walked up to the podium, flanked by two ranked officers. There was something about him- he had the face of a very old man, but nothing about his posture or aura showed anything like weakness. This was the commander-in-chief, the greatest of them all, about to speak to them. The students looked in fascination, and Erza couldn t help but feel impressed.

Yamamoto took his place at the podium, standing tall. He opened his mouth, and spoke with a voice that was gruff, strong, and very ancient.

"Students of this academy, I salute you." He cleared his throat a little. "You have no doubt been told much about glory, duty, honour, obedience and valour in your five years here. And make no mistake, you are about to become fully fledged soldiers of the Gotei Thirteen, where you will be expected to lay down your lives in service of order, balance and tradition at a moment s notice. This is no job for weaklings- it is a privileged position afforded to the strong men and women with the determination and strength to die for what is right, but much better live for it. Rest assured, your lives will not be thrown away by the dozen- but you must always be aware of the risk that comes with your positions, the price you pay for the privileges you receive. You are all special- the strongest, the brightest, the most skilled, selected for a duty no others can perform. Yet at the same time, each and every single one of you is nothing next to this eternal institution; every one of you little more than a straw in a field. You have power- so most of all, you must be humble. We live to serve- I have laid down all my life in servitude of this place, and so will you. Those of you who follow this are already heroic- and those who don t will be remembered as cowards and traitors. Walk forward through your new life, boldly and decisively, and do what you know is right, and good things shall come your way."

He looked around the room, scrutinizing the students. "Congratulations." He grumbled. "You are all shinigami now- soldiers of the afterlife and mediators between this world and that of the living. It is a charge that is sacrosanct- so do not fail it. Never fall short of doing your best!"

He slammed his cane in the floor, and as one the students cheered, shouting in approval. Erza joined in. It felt good. She was part of something bigger- for now, at least. These five years had moved her forward; all that dull kido hadn t been for nothing.

With that, Yamamoto stepped down from the podium, and began to walk out. The students kept cheering until well after he left, and all but complete chaos erupted for a few minutes. A good, cheerful kind of chaos, relief of worries pent up for years letting go, moving on.

That night they celebrated, like all of the students did. The four of them went out, and while Erza wasn t one for heavy drinking herself, she indulged in a few- just a few- drinks of sake. They sat, they danced, they talked and cheered and sang, and danced some more, forgetting everything else. Sure, there would be troubles ahead, there would be a long road full of struggle and strife and mundane-ness as well as horrors, but here and now they were just merry, in high spirits, forgetful of everything else. That was the way of things, Erza supposed- you just had to forget sometimes, just be happy to make life feel good.

After a few hours, Erza decided to take a break from the loud little bar they d been in. She needed fresh air, and just a little time by herself- to take it all in, being a shinigami, having come this far everything. She walked out, leaving the noise behind her. It was a comforting noise- one of happiness and joy, one that reminded her of home, but you could have too much of a good thing. She looked up at the sky, feeling the cool night breeze against her warm skin. It was a clear night, and the stars were shining down on her. Even here, the celestial bodies could be seen how much like life wasn't this afterlife, after all!

She turned her head and looked, and down the street she saw a familiar figure- it was Rod, sitting on a bench with an apathetic expression. Feeling curious, she walked up to him.

"Why're you sitting out here?" She asked. "Shouldn't you be in there, with the rest of us?"

"Can't be arsed." Rod mumbled.

"Sure you can." She said resolutely. "Come on- if there s any time you shouldn t be by yourself, it s now. Come on in, celebrate with your friends."

"What friends?" He grumbled. "I'm not" He gave her a strange, somewhat hostile look. "you."

"Well, that s a pretty non-specific insult." She said cheerfully.

"I mean all friendly. _Popular._ I'm alone, and well, could be worse."

Erza sighed. "It cant be helped, I guess." Quickly, she grabbed Rod by the wrist, and pulled him up, dragging him with her.

"Hey!" he protested. "God damn it, what do you think you're doing?"

"Taking you back in. If you ve got no friends- then you ll just have to celebrate with us. We're not bad people, even though we re popular ."

Rod broke free, jerking his hand away. "I don't want pity, Scarlet. Don't you-"

"That's good, because I m not giving you any." She said, cutting him off before he could continue. "I just don't think you should celebrate alone. Come in, have a drink- you don t have to talk, or laugh, or be cheery if you really don t want to. You can even keep that frown that makes people think you re an unrepentant thug. Or you could lighten up, and have a good time. The choice is yours. Either way, you re coming with me."

He blinked. "You're not letting go of this, huh?"

"Nope!" She said cheerfully. "So are you coming, or am I gonna have to beat you into the dirt first?"

"Fuck off." He mumbled. "Fine- but only for five minutes."

"Five minutes will be fine." She said, smiling brightly.

That night, they all drank and were merry- and at the end, one of the loudest singers were Rod himself. It was a good night.

In the following week or so, there was some down time- nothing but free time for a whole seven days, which was more than she d seen in a long time- five years, to be specific. The official purpose was choosing what division to apply for, and the administrative process took time- enough to leave them with more free time than they d known in a long while. Most took the time to relax, to sleep in and have fun, getting applications out of the way as quickly as possible. Erza was not quite so hasty- she had taken a look at the various divisions and specific duties they carried out. On the whole, most of them were pretty similar, although there were subtle differences in how each squad seemed to approach their duty. Second division, for example, had a frightening amount of talk about mortality rates and readiness to die for the cause; third division s papers seemed to emphasize humility nothing major, it seemed. She had been indecisive, going through all of these papers- there was a form to fill out for each division, information about the divisions, and all of it of course was written to sound more appealing than it probably was and nothing really caught her eye until she saw division eleven.

It was a simple description- fight, fight and fight. Make your way with the sword. Obey the captain, take flak from nobody, be strong. It was simple, but honest. She asked a few others about it, and had gotten some terrified responses- eleventh was known as a division of punks and hooligans, unrefined thugs who cared only for battle.  
It reminded her a little of Natsu, and Fairy Tail. There were so many happy-go-lucky hooligans there, so many people who fought their hardest, wrecked things along the way, and lived life as they pleased. It might not be exactly the same but it appealed to her well enough. In the end, she made her choice; papers were filed and arrangements were made. She would officially become part of division eleven- if she was accepted.

All in all, only one thing remained. They had all graduated, but to truly be a shinigami, one had to do some shinigami-ing, and that was the final rite of passage: her entire year, divided into teams, would go on patrol in the world of the living- and potentially face real hollows, under the supervision of an officer. The week eventually ended, and as it came, she found herself, along with her class, standing before four instructors, real soldiers of the Gotei. They were heading out. Finally, she and everyone else would test what good their training was.

* * *

**Heh, I don't think ANYONE saw Aizen not only being a Tutor for Erza but also the main reason she passed the academy. There was little to no doubt in my mind Erza would do well in the other areas of soul Reaper combat, but Kido? That's a bit more complex. **

**Oh, and dont worry, This isn't We'll be seeing our Glasses wearing douchebag for a while. Why?...Im not telling!**

**But hey, she finally did it, She passed the academy! See, I told you we wouldn't be here for too long. I hope we did it in a way that did tis mini arc justice, as well as entertained you.**

**Also, I don't think the fact that she's going to squad 11 really surprised anyone. Its the perfect place for her.**

**Please though, stay tuned for the next chapter...Shit gets real.**

**Thank you so much for taking your time to read this, and DOUBLE thank you if you leave a review. Reviews are my greatest source of motivation and are highly appreciated. **


	7. We are the Hunters

**Written by Greatkingratt88. Thanks again man.**

**F****airy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.**

**Ah yes, I LOVE the break so far. Its given me the perfect time to start watching more new anime, Like Fate Zero/Fate Stay night. Its pretty fun so far.**

**However, I figured my readers could use a gift as well, so I bring you this, Chapter 7!**

**Like always, thank you so much for reading this. I appreciate it. I also REALLY appreciate any and all reviews that are given, be they positive or negative. Reviews are still my best motivator and they also help motivate my writer as well!**

* * *

"Attention! Graduate class Four B, stand to _attention_! Straighten your damn backs, tuck your shirts in, look smart, or I will personally feed you to a menos!" Erza couldn t suppress a small smile, as she and the rest of her class stood to attention. They had graduated, and all of them had applied for different squads, but the process took some time- and the Gotei, not believing in anything like prolonged times of idleness, had set up an exercise- a real patrol, out in the world of the living. And before them was seventh seat Haseyama of the seventh division, followed by three other seated officers, making ready to open a portal. Haseyama was a grim, tough kind of man, but his drill sergeant act was a little too over the top to take very seriously.

"You may all have graduated," he rumbled- a very good rumble, she noted- "but as far as we re all concerned, you lot are greenhorns. Stupid, ignorant children who'd probably sooner cut off their own head if they tried using a sword for real! So, how do we fix that?" "Um-" One unfortunate classmate piped up.  
_"That was a rhetorical question, soldier_!" Haseyama snapped. You speak when spoken to- understood?

The class was silent, seemingly not sure of what to say.  
"I said, _is that understood_?!"

"Sir, yes sir!" They shouted, not quite uniformly.

"You've got a long way to go." Haseyama muttered. "This will be your first patrol- a real one, out in the world of the living. This is the real thing- not a sodding exercise, not make-believe, not slaying dolls or cutting each other with fake swords. You are soldiers now- and if you ignore protocols, if you don t follow orders, you could wind up dead. Questions?" "Where will we be going?" Erza said. "And will there be hollows?"

"Don't sound so eager." Haseyama said sullenly. "Since you're new, we re going on patrol somewhere not so densely populated- Mongolia , the humans call it. There will be a small town not too far away, so hollows could pop up- but it's not a high risk area. If they do pop up, remember your training and whatever you do, _don't_ try to be a hero. Being a soldier means fighting to live another day. You're no good to our cause when you re dead!" " Senpai?" One of the other shinigami said to their instructor.  
"The portal is ready now."

"Right!" Haseyama said. "We go first, then you march through, single file. Once we're through, you'll be divided in four groups, with one of us each observing you. We won't interfere unless you're in serious danger- this is up to you now. With that," Haseyama and his colleagues stepped through the gate, now opening- it looks so elegant, like two sliding doors, only they opened to reveal a desolate landscape; plains with little vegetation as far as she could see. One by one, they formed a line and walked through, and Erza felt a rush of air as she stepped through- there was such a contrast; the air was cold, there was a breeze in the air that felt like it caressed her very bones with its chill, and there was almost no reiatsu in the air. After so much time spent in the soul society, so much time learning to read and manipulate spiritual power, it was almost shocking to come back here and feel the lack of everything that made up her body, her mind; it was like having her face splashed with ice cold water.

The rest of her class seemed to react no different, uneasy looks all round, some people even looking nauseous. Marisa shivered, wrapping her arms around her chest, and Sensuke grunted, looking uncomfortable. Remon looked the same- a little bit sour, but she knew him well enough to tell he wasn t enjoying this.  
"Well, this this was," She said, trailing off as she took a few deep breaths.

"Its like being woken up by a slap to the face." Sensuke said, sounding nauseous.

"I had forgotten what the world of the living was like." Marisa mumbled. "We really aren't part of it anymore, are we? You think you have it rough? I've never even _been_ here before." Sensuke whined. "I was born in the soul society- how the hell do people live here?"

"You feeling bad, private Shinyu?" Haseyama said, as he walked up to them. His voice was deceptively smooth. "Would you like us to send you home, maybe get a nice sleep? See the medic about that nausea? Would you like that, _private_?"

As bad as he may have felt, Sensuke could see a trap coming. "Sir, no sir!" He barked, straightening himself up. "Shinyu Sensuke, ready for duty, sir!"

"_Good"_. Haseyama said, giving them a glare. "And does anyone else feel less than fit for duty?" There was a collective "Sir, no sir!" from the class arrivals, Erza included, and Haseyama nodded approvingly. "Good. Cause whoever's too chickenshit to deal with a little first-time travel instability gets two months of latrine duty." The class, which had looked mostly miserable, now looked nervously relieved.

"Form a line, greenhorns!" Haseyama barked. The class obeyed, quickly- things considered- forming a long line of twenty-four. Haseyama began strolling up and down the line, his thumbs tucked into his belt.

"So," he began, taking a tone Erza recognized as a try-hard take on you will obey my last command or else , "this is the world of the living, the one we all bleed and die to protect. Ain t it grand?" He looked around spitefully, gesturing towards the empty plains, uninterrupted only by a dead tree or two, a chilly wind still breezing across it. As the class remained silent, he continued,

"We got four routes to patrol. You do your route, get back to the rendezvous point, and we go back for lunch. Simple as that. We'll divide you in four groups, and each group gets one squad leader. You will be supervised, but there will be no interference unless you fuck up massively- or something goes really wrong. Understood?"  
Sir, yes sir!" The class bellowed, now feeling a little less uncomfortable, in the face of having a goal laid out for them.

"Good!" Haseyama began dividing them up, in groups of six. She saw Rod in one group- assigned as leader, unsurprisingly. Before long, her own group had been made- herself, Sensuke, Marisa, Remon, and two classmates she knew by name but not personally, two boys named Jiamon and Kensu.

"You're in charge, Scarlet." Haseyama said, handing her a red sash. "That means you re responsible for these idiots- so be damn careful with what you do, cause you're holding their life in your hands. Same goes for anybody who leads anyone in an organization like ours. Got it?"

Erza swallowed, and accepted the sash.

"Yes, sir.'" She said, and fastened the piece of cloth around her waist.

After Haseyama had pointed the way, and after a quick consultation of a map he'd provided, Erza led the way. It wasn't exactly easy- this steppe had no roads, no discernable paths, and precious few landmarks to follow. A big rock here, a dead tree there, and a light mist covering the area. It was a little scary- not the landscape in itself, not the possibility of hollows, but the idea that whatever happened would be her responsibility. Steeling herself mentally, she reminded herself that she had trained for this, and so had they. This was a test of skill, and if it were easy there would be no point to it. Boldly, showing courage she wasn't sure she had at this moment, she strode forward. She checked the map as often as she could, not wanting to get lost- but as they covered more and more ground, mile after mile without them being lost, she began to feel like this was doable.

"I think I sense something." Sensuke mumbled. He'd been quiet, a far cry from his normal, boisterous self. The seriousness of the situation had got to him, it seemed, as much as it had for everyone else.

"You sure?" Erza said, trying to sense for spiritual particles. Everything was so different here, so lacking.

"I can feel it- very slight, but there's a bunch of spirit particle concentrations, maybe five hundred feet ahead. And it sure doesn't feel like people."

"Holllows? Marisa asked. They did say there _might_ be..."

Haseyama nodded. ""Good call. So, what do you do in the face of a potential threat, when you're out on patrol, all on your own?"

Um, Erza began, quickly trying to dig up the right answers from her memory. "We approach with caution, assess the threat, and if the threat level is considered to be within our ability to handle, we engage and purify the hollows."

He nodded again. "And if they're above your level?"

"Run like hell, sir."

"And if that's not an option?"

"Then we fight and die facing the enemy."

"Good lass. Now, what are you waiting for- go ahead!"

"Yes sir!" Erza exclaimed. She turned to the others. "Okay, team- we're up against what's likely multiple hollows. Sensuke, any details?"

"They didn't feel overwhelmingly strong." He said nervously. "And- and this is a low threat area, so it should be safe."

Erza nodded. "I'm going first. Marisa, cover my back. Remon, Sensuke, take my left and right side. Jiamon, Kensu, take the flanks. Be ready for an attack. If they come at us, I'll try and distract them, draw them to me- hit them when you can. Understood?"

There was a chorus of affirmations, nods and 'yes' and 'sure', and Erza nodded back, and stepped forward, drawing her sword. The others followed suit, and warily the six of them advanced through the mist, their superior following a bit behind.  
Erza felt heavy with every step, felt a tinge of nervousness and fear- but she swallowed it, pushing it aside. Focusing on the now and here, she sensed forward, sensing for reishi- and there, finally, she could feel the tinge of spiritual pressure.

"Got a number, Sensuke?" She mumbled. "Or Marisa? You're better at this than me."

"I count to seven. Sensuke said quietly. But they don't feel very strong."

"Sounds right." Marisa said, her voice tense. "They seem... distracted, because they're not reacting to us. That, or they can't sense us."

"Then let's see if we can take them by surprise." Erza said resolutely. "Quiet everyone."

They kept walking, and it felt like an eternity, like the mist would never end- but before too long, she began to see the shapes of hollows further down their path- long, snake-like bodies, weak limbs, floating through the air, burying their beaked faces in what looked like the carcass of another hollow.

'They're weak.' Erza whispered. 'Weak, and small- but still vicious. I'm gonna charge in, cut one down- when you hear me cry out, the rest of you charge in. Got that?'

There was a whispered yes, sir! , and Erza advanced by herself, slowly, cautiously, trying to suppress her energy till the last possible moment. The hollows were busy, gorging themselves- she got quite close, twenty or so feet left, before one of them turned its head towards her. It hissed, and the others begun to notice. They weren't too big, just ten feet's worth of snake-like body each- she could do this.

Letting out a loud cry, she charged forward before the first hollow to notice her could react, bringing down her sword. It cut neatly into its mask, cleaving it in two, and the monster began to disintegrate. As one, the hollows moved toward her, snapping at her. Erza continued her charge, dashing forward, cutting wildly. Blood spattered her face, her uniform, as she drew blood but little else- but the goal was achieved; all six of the remaining hollows were focused on her now. She dashed forward, then left, then back where she came from. Any time now...

"SHINYU!" She heard Sensuke cry, and he slammed into a hollow from the side, tackling it, sending it spinning, before finishing it off with a heavy stroke of the sword. Remon didn't cry out, he just jumped in, running his sword through the head of one beast from below. Good- quickly, Erza turned around to face the remaining ones. Holding her sword in one hand, she grabbed one of the hollows, holding it at bay, while spearing another on her sword, it's momentum doing all the work for her. One, two, three more hollows evaporated.

Even so, that left two unanswered for, not counting the one Erza was holding on to- which was snapping and writhing, struggling to break free. The two others were coming right at her, no stopping that. Erza braced herself,and-

Hado number one: shou! And one of the hollows went flying, veering off course from a spell Marisa had fired off. She smiled, and continued:  
Hado number thirty-three: sokatsui! White lightning erupted from her fingertips, and the hollow let out a screech as it disintegrated, completely destroyed by Marisa's magic.

That left two still, both focused on Erza. She waved her sword at the oncoming hollow, but she hadn't the focus- it slipped under her guard, wrapped itself around her arm, and bit into her shoulder. Erza cried out, letting go of the other hollow to wrestle it off. She was hurting, but not badly- and the hollow was about to learn what a grave mistake it was to antagonize Erza Scarlet. Angrily, she grabbed it by the throat, slamming it down into the ground. The monster hissed, constricting around her arm, but Erza shouted back and her grip around the monster's neck hardened. Slowly, she began choking it, her fingers pushing through layers of skin and flesh, feeling bone underneath- bone that strained under her touch, beginning to crack...  
The monster thrashed wildly, screeching as best it could with its windpipe being crushed. In its desperate throes, it let go of her arm, trying only to get free. Not wasting a moment, Erza held the hollow firmly, and thrust her sword forward, hard, right into the monster's mask. The thrashing stopped suddenly, as the monster begun to disintegrate.

Erza stood up, disregarding the pain in her shoulder. What happened to the last one? She looked up, and saw Jiamon and Kensu standing over a hollow corpse, chopped into bits, their faces a mixture between relief, fear and exhilaration. The head was still twitching, not quite dead.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" She grunted, holding her shoulder. "Finish it off."

The two of them said, at once, "Yes, sir!" , and together, without much finesse, they cut into the mask. The last hollow was purified, ceasing to be.

"All right, is everyone okay?" She asked. "No injuries?"

"I- I got a small nick, but that's all." Sensuke said. "I think we're fine, excepting some scrubs and bruises."

There were some affirming nods, and Marisa said,  
"I think we should be asking you that."

Erza grimaced. She _did_ have a lot of blood on her.  
"It looks a lot worse than it is." She said casually. "All this blood isn't even my own." She slid down her uniform a little, to have a look. She did have a wound, but it didn't look too deep.

"What did I say about playing hero?" Haseyama said, stepping up out of the mist. "Good enough work, team- a bit reckless, but passable for greenhorns." He looked at Remon, who seemed to be bleeding from the shoulder. "As for you, Remon- let me see to that wound." Seeing the reluctant look on his face, he added, "That was not a request, soldier. Show it to me."

To some annoyance for the man, he insisted on bandaging and treating the wound, citing safety first- but hey, all things considered, they were doing pretty well. Seven hollows killed, everyone was okay, and all they had to do was patrol... this was going okay.

"...there." Haseyama murmured, putting the final knot in his bandage. "That should do it. Are you fit to keep on going?"

"Yes, sir." She said confidently.

"Then what are you mucking about here for? Get going- you have a route to finish!"

Erza nodded, and stepped forward again. "Everyone, clean your swords and get moving. We got work to do!"

"Yes, sir!" They said, looking heartened. They'd been through the fire, endured the heat, and had a baptism of violence. They felt like soldiers now, she could see it as clearly as she felt it herself. As one, they began marching their route, and before long they were headed back to the rendezvous, and not even the ache of her bitten shoulder bothered Erza. This wasn't so bad, was it?

After a couple of hours after setting out, the seven of them were catching sight of the rendezvous point again. Erza could see Rod's group there, Rod giving his usual, sourly defiant look. They looked a little roughed up, but nobody looked hurt.

"Did you get hollows too?" Erza said spiritedly as she came within earshot, walking up to Rod.

"A whole bunch of 'em." Rod said indifferently. "Ten or so. Nothing we couldn't handle."

"Team work was less than exemplary." Rod's supervisor said.

"Yes, I selfishly killed seven of them myself instead of giving the others a chance to get themselves seriously hurt or killed." Rod said, rolling his eyes.

"Your attitude isn't helping."

"Sounds like you did a great job." Erza said, trying to defuse the situation. "But where are the others?"

"Probably lost." Rod said, shrugging. "We nearly got lost, too- wound up being almost half an hour behind schedule, hollow-slaying included."

"I see." Erza murmured. "Ten hollows for you, seven for us... is that normal, Haseyama-senpai?"

"It's much more than expected." Haseyama said, yawning. "But not outside what you could possibly expect."

Rod bowed his head lightly. "Been a useful trip, sir. Learned a lot here, we did- so now we just wait for the others, and go home?"

"Yes..." Haseyama said, sounding distracted. "They're late, though- what are they doing?"

"I'm sure they'll be here any minute." Erza said, suppressing a small impulse of worry. "They're being looked after by your men, right?"

Yes... well, let's just wait here, shall we? They're not that late yet.

They waited for ten minutes or so, and the students chatted away happily, with excitement- now that they were used to the climate of the world of the living, now that they'd completed this first mission, their spirits were considerably higher than before. Erza too felt glad- but somehow a bit concerned, too.

Then, out of the mist, they saw the shape of a man walking- no, stumbling. He wasn't one of the students; she remembered him as one of the supervisors who had gone with them. At first Erza took it to be the patrol returning, drawing a sigh of relief- but she saw nobody else behind him. And then she saw it. His arm, a bloody stump. Blood flowing freely from his face- oh god, his _face_, it looked like it had been run through a meatgrinder, looking more like a large mess of blood and flesh and bone than a human face. He was barely walking upright, stumbling along the path towards him.  
She heard Haseyama draw a sharp breath, hurrying towards him. The man collapsed, and Erza, all the other students too, who had been paralyzed for a second hurried up. Haseyama was holding his hand, and up close his wounds seemed even worse.

"I- I ran." The man hissed, breathing in sharp, short bursts, blood pouring from his neck with every breath. "I ran away, Haseyama-senpai!"

"You keep still!" Haseyama ordered. "We'll get you some help- who did this?"

"I ran away!" The man said again, sounding desperate, and there was something haunted in his eyes. "You have to run- run away too. Run!"

"God damn it, somebody go get some bandages!" Haseyama spat, turning to his students. It was too late, though- the soldier's eyes were glassy, and he had stopped breathing.

"Damn!" Haseyama swore, desperately checking for any kind of life sign- a breath, a heartbeat, anything- but all there was was blood, trickling down on the ground and slowly coming to a halt. Erza looked around- there were all the signs of panic brewing, students looking frightened, on edge, all sense of accomplishment gone and replaced with fear.

Erza put a hand on her sword, to reassure herself. Just one man returning- this didn t look good.

"Looks like everyone else kicked the bucket." Rod said, putting words to her thoughts. "Gotta say, this looks bad."

"You sound pretty calm for a situation like this." Erza said, frowning.

"Actually, I'm scared shitless." Rod said, and there was a slight tremor in his voice, and he took a quick, deep breath. "Im just remembering something Shimura-sensei said- panic on the battlefield, and you re toast."

Erza nodded. "We don t know that they're all dead yet-"

"Whatever did that made a complete mess out of the most senior member of the group. Maybe you re an optimist, but we're better off assuming the worst."

Erza made a fist. Some first assignment She raised her voice, turning to Haseyama. "Haseyama-senpai! What do we do?!"

Haseyama stood up slowly, the blood of his subordinate all over his shihakusho. He looked odd, so odd- the look of a man processing shock, the first stages of grief. He didn't respond for a bit, his eyes having a glassy look.

"Haseyama-senpai!" She cried again.

"Shut it!" He snapped." Listen up, everyone- we need to open up a way back home right now!"

"Wait- what about the others?" Sensuke said. "They could be alive-"

"I said _right now_." Haseyama growled.

"Oh god." Marisa mumbled, looking around. "It's coming."

Erza let her senses reach, feeling for reiatsu. She wasn t the best, but it was unmistakable now- a large mass of it, rapidly approaching. And in the mist- _over_ the mist she saw it now, as did everyone else. Paralyzed with fear, they saw it leaping forward. It was absolutely enormous- at least twenty feet tall. Its body looked a little like that of a toad, but with a wide, expanded neck- a little like a cobra. It had a broad, white mask, and absurdly large teeth, drool and blood dribbling down its chin. And claws, claws like scythes on the end of its long, thin arms.

And it was coming at them at breakneck speed.

"Damn it!" Haseyama shouted, quickly drawing his sword. "Everyone on me! Katsui, open the portal! Swords out- defend yourself or-"

Erza guessed that the next word would have been you'll die , but the words never left his mouth. The hollow leapt, so damn fast for a creature so big, and crashed into Haseyama, it s clawed hand digging into his torso. Haseyama grit his teeth, digging his sword into the hand of the monster, but it was for nothing- lifting him, body skewered like a shish-kebab, the monster brought him up to eye level- and in a second, snapping like a snake, he bit off Haseyama s head. Blood sprayed out in spurts, but only briefly before the monster took the rest of his body into its mouth. Not stopping, he leapt again, towards the one remaining senior shinigami- Katsui- who was desperately trying to open the portal back. The sword was out, the doors were opening- and then the monster s clawed hand struck out, so impossibly long, cutting him clean in half. The class watched on in terror- twelve of them, one monster, and they were all so helpless. The monster looked like it shared the opinion, slowly and deliberately picking up the two pieces of what was Katsui, chewing down first his legs, then picking up his torso. Erza saw with horror that he was not dead yet- a look of helplessness and terror on his face, as he descended into the mouth of the beast, his wheezing cries for help silenced abruptly by the sickening crunch of hollow teeth grinding against each other.

Its eyes conveying a perverse pleasure, the beast began to speak, its voice conveying an arrogance, a feeling of absolute power:

_"Good day, my fine fellows."_ It chuckled darkly and slowly, and Erza could feel a gust of wind, a sickening smell of blood, both fresh and rotting, coming from its mouth. _"I am Hanyval. I will be your host for today."_ He gave a mock bow. _"Polite as I am, I must say: thank you so much for the meal. This is a feast I haven t seen in years."_

Slowly he began to advance, with the confidence of a lion approaching mice.

Erza shot a glance at her classmates. Terror running across their faces, true fear, their conviction breaking. So fresh out of academy, so inexperienced- this was not supposed to have happened, and it showed.

"Stand fast!" She shouted, just as the first of them started to run, slipping into a panicked shunpo. "Hold your ground or we'll all be hunted down! Stay together, or you'll all be killed! She grabbed one of her classmates, Jiamon. You're staying right here!"

"Let me go!" He cried.

"You heard her." Rod said, slamming a fist into his gut. "That goes for all of you- stay where you are, or I'll make you wish you were hollow chow, cause what I'll do to you will be five times worse!"

It worked- almost. Four more of their classmates dashed away, the terror of this monster overtaking all sense and reason, but the rest- herself, Rod, Remon, Sensuke, Marisa, Jiamon and Kensu, they stood their ground.

_"What adorable bravado!"_ Hanyval exclaimed, laughing again his slow, deep laugh. _"I will save you for last, my precious little desserts- you have until I pick up these stragglers. Be prepared!"_ His voice was all sarcasm, condescending them, but nevertheless Erza felt grateful for the respite. Hanyval leapt off into the mist, and half a minute later, they could hear a scream in the distance.

Well, that s it then. Didn t think I d die this fast. Remon said matter-of-factly.  
Oh god Marisa mumbled. Just fuck. _Fuck_.

"This is it!" Sensuke said desperately. "We're all gonna die! Game over, man! Game over!"

"Shut the fuck up." Rod said coldly. "If that's what you re all thinking, then _sure_ we re gonna die. But maybe it s just me, but I'm not gonna take it lying down."

Erza nodded enthusiastically. "We can get out of this. Trust me. I- I was raised in a place where you never give up, no matter what. Where you rely on each other to get through whatever comes your way, thick or thin. And I m telling you, together we can make it. Somebody will send help if we re not back on time. Maybe we can t beat it, maybe we can- but we sure as hell can hold out. Trust me!"

Erza wasn t sure if she believed what she said, not fully, but it was something you had to say at a time like this.

Marisa nodded. "I trust you. Yeah. We can do this."

"If we get out of this, will you go out with me?" Sensuke said, hissing desperately in what would have to pass for a laugh.

"He's already making jokes." Rod mumbled.

"Marisa." Erza said. "We know it's strong- but do you have a read on how strong?"

"Huge class." She mumbled. "Reiatsu level, in proportion to our own- probably at least seven times more than we're meant to handle. He was very far evolved too- probably old and experienced."

"He had some pretty clumsy moves on his forearms." Rod piped in. "Very fast, but predictable- I don't think his joints let him move them very smoothly."

Erza nodded again, taking it in. "We're gonna need teamwork on this. The best there ever was. Rod and I are the fastest, so we'll try and distract him from the front. Once we ve got the attention of his arms, the rest of you flank him- Marisa, I want you to fire whatever kido you can from behind. Remon, Sensuke, tale left flank. Jiamon, Kensu, take right. Hit whatever place you can- a joint, his sides, wherever you can hurt him."

They all nodded, a small chorus of yes coming from the small crowd. They were terrified, scared to death and at the brink of despair, but they weren t falling into the abyss just yet.

"Hear that?" Rod said.

"What?" Erza said, listening around.

"Exactly- nothing. There s no more screams. He'll be coming soon."

Erza looked through the mist, and everything felt so slow. Every breath felt like a minute, every movement down to moving a finger felt like moving through tar. She felt it out there, a malevolent mass of spiritual energy, hate and strength. Raw power, heading their way .

"Make ready." She said, swallowing her fear. "Assume formation. Rod, by me." She stepped forward, holding her sword out. Rod was right by her side, just a yard or two to her right. She had a quick look- her team was following her instructions so far.

And there it was, walking through the mist, its long, thin clawed arms being the first to emerge. So slowly, yet so horrifyingly quickly, it walked forward out of the mist. More blood down its chin, more death surrounding it- and here it was before them.

"Well, well, my little desserts-" it began, but Erza wasn t in the mood for monologues.

"CHARGE!" She roared, dashing headlong into battle. Hopping forward at her fastest shunpo, she put all her strength into a fierce, hard blow. She connected hard with Hanyval s clawed arm- the monster didn t even try to dodge. But, surprisingly, his arm was forced back, into his chest, and the monster took half a step backward to keep balance. She hadn t really hurt it; there was just a chip in its thick hide- but that wasn t the idea. Dashing under the monster s claw, Rod jumped up, cutting into the monster s throat- not deep, but blood was drawn, splashing out in a wide arc. And at the same time, from every angle, her team came in, cutting into the monster s sides, its legs, knee joints, moving as fast as could while he was distracted.  
And Hanyval began to stagger. He stood up tall, taking one step back, two steps back- he looked almost like he d overbalance, and though a mask couldn t convey emotion, he looked surprised. And for just a moment, Erza felt so proud- they were doing it, fighting together. This was the fairy tail way; never give up, never surrender, and triumph.

"Don't give him time to recover!" She shouted, eagerly cutting at the beast s arm, each sword blow leaving a mark, a nick, even drawing blood through its thick hide. Monsters be damned- she could and would fight to the death if she had to!

Of course, it wasn t that easy. Nothing ever is. Hanyval roared, and lashed out quickly at Erza, ignoring the others. She just barely avoided a hard hit- damn, that thing was fast!- but even dodging, she took a glancing blow, and was sent tumbling. She wasted no time, using the momentum of the hit to roll back up on her feet, and got back up just in time to see Rod, zig-zagging around the beast s legs, finally dashing upwards for a hit-  
And with calculated precision, Hanyval's clawed arm came down, its palm slamming into Rod s body. There was a dull thud as he hit the ground, and not a sound was made- he was lying there, still and quiet, some blood trickling from his forehead.

"Regroup!" Erza shouted. "Everyone, to me!" There would be time to worry about him later- right now, the rest of them had to survive.

Obeying her as quick as they could, the others jumped away, narrowly avoiding some quick, fierce swipes.

"Damn." Remon murmured, breathing heavily.

"We can do it." Erza said confidently- more confidently than she really felt. "We managed to drive him back just now- keep going."

Hanyval looked at them, standing tall. There were small cuts on his body, little places where he bled- but they were like paper cuts, small, insignificant.  
_"I knew there was a reason I saved you for last."_ He said gleefully.

"Same formations!" Erza barked. "Be ready-"

Her next order didn t come out, as Hanyval leapt towards them with immense speed. Trained as they were, the graduates scattered, avoiding the attack. Erza jumped back, then held her sword high, charging forward-  
And then she saw it. Marisa, on the back foot against the monster, desperately firing off a kido. The magic simply glanced against the monster s cheek, and its claws surged forward-

The world seemed to move in slow motion. Erza was speeding forward with desperate speed and strength, a fury rising in her chest- "_Die die die die die!"-_ and then the monster's hands connected, running right through Marisa s chest. Erza saw a shocked expression on her friend s face as she gasped for air, and she could see four black spines running out through her back, slick with blood. Then, Hanyval flicked his hand, and Marisa s lifeless body went tumbling on the steppe, blood spraying as it went.

_"DIE!"_ Erza roared, and something burst inside her. Anger so great that she couldn't even take it all in, so great that her thoughts seemed to become nothing but a singular instinct of hatred rose in her, and she charged forward. She slammed her sword s blade into the monster s bloodied arm, swinging it hard like it were a club, going into a frenzy-  
And then Hanyval s other arm shot out, pinning her to the ground. She felt his filthy claws, sticky with blood, pushing against her body, but through the rage it didn t matter. She struggled, only one arm free, frantically beating and pushing at the hand to break free. She could see Hanyval raise his arm, ready to spear her

And then, from the side came Jiamon and Kensu, again cutting at its knees, and cutting at the hand pinning her was Remon. And at the front, frantically cutting at its mask, was Sensuke, moving like he never had before; his life was at stake and he was fighting the best he ever had. Annoyed, Hanyval grunted and his grip on Erza loosened. Remon grabbed her, and quickly she pulled herself away, getting on her feet again. She took a couple of deep breaths, readying herself again. Sensuke was still fighting, slipping in and out of shunpo, dodging one blow after another.

"Come catch me, you ugly brute!" He roared, firing of a shakkaho into its face. "Come take me! I am Shinyu Sensuke, and I am going to-" And then Hanyval s mouth shot forward, snapping at him. Sensuke barely avoided having his head bit off- but caught just barely in its teeth was his arm. Slowly, the monster began to bite into it, and there was an audible snap as the arm broke. Sensuke screamed, desperately bashing the hilt of his sword against its mask. Unconcerned, the monster reached up with one arm, grabbed him, and carefully pushed him into his maw. Erza saw his face for the last time, desperate and afraid- and then there was one crunch, two crunch, three crunches as the monster began to chew, and the screams silenced.

Erza stood as if paralyzed. Her anger was still there, but it had been joined by something else. _Fear_. She saw this monster, and she saw doom- for her comrades, and for her. Jiamon and Kensu, who had not let up, but ignored completely, got its attention now. He looked down, a malicious glare in his eye, and lashed out against Jiamon. He dodged the first hit, but Hanyval followed him with his eyes, well accustomed as a hunter- and then his claws made a swipe, and suddenly Jiamon was cut in two. Kensu looked in horror, his resolve finally breaking, and he turned and ran.

"To the end, Erza Scarlet!" Remon shouted, punching her in the shoulder. "Come on!"

Snapped out of her shock, Erza slipped into a shunpo right along with Remon, charging at the monster with reckless abandon. Here at life s end, at the brink of being dead and alive, there was now the strangest sensation- hate, rage, sorrow, vindictiveness, but also a feeling that there was nothing to lose, that nothing mattered other than her sword and using it properly.  
They charged, quick as they could, but it was too late for Kensu. With a single leap, Hanyval had closed the distance, skewering the poor boy with his spear-like talons.

"To the end, then!" She shouted, nodding to Remon. He nodded, and dashed to the right. Hanyval turned around, as if in expectation, and there was so much confidence in his pose- such assurance that he was in charge. _And_, a small, logical part of Erza s mind said, _he isn't wrong._

But that little part was drowned out, overrun by purpose, by hatred. Shouting her anger out loud, to the heavens for all to hear, she leapt forward, her blade poised to stab. The monster swept at her, but she saw it coming- so slowly, and anticipating it, she grabbed at the arm as soon as it was within reach, pulling herself over it, continuing in under his guard. Going right for his neck, she stabbed her blade in- and in it sunk, the blade going halfway there. Furiously, she tore at it, twisting it as much as she could, just doing whatever damage she could. The monster cried out, its other arm shooting right for her- and there was Remon, cutting into it, distracting him. Sneering angrily, Hanyval lashed out, his other arm slamming into Remon, and he fell to the ground. Erza barely registered it, furiously working at the wound, tearing and gouging. Maim! Kill! Hurt! DIE!

And then, straining under the pressure of her own strength, and the toughness of the monster s hide, it snapped, and Erza fell down to the ground. The monster grunted irritably, slowly reaching up to pull out the half of the blade that remained in its thick, tough neck.

"I have to say," He began, gently beginning to pull out the blade with a delicate touch that seemed strange for such gargantuan monster, _"you were good sport. I'll remember you as one of the finest meals I had."_

Erza tried to think of some words of defiance, some last words of fury in the face of death, but managed only to hiss and spit at it, as she struggled to get up on her feet.

And then the world was a little greyer.

"Have you lost your will to climb?"

* * *

Aizen Sousuke observed carefully from a distance, standing a comfortable five hundred or so feet away from the battle. He could not see a thing, of course- considerable distance aside, the mist was blocking everything. But the thing about being a brilliant shinigami was that so long as it was a matter of reading spiritual energy, eyes were really more of an accessory than a necessity. Even closing his eyes, he could see the picture perfectly clearly- blood being spilled, bodies on their last breath, every second taking them closer to death. Just one left fighting- and one huge hollow of mediocre power. Boredom had taken him here; his usual experiments were getting tedious, as was maintaining his many schemes, so he had followed this patrol, to clear his head, make an exercise out of observation. He had toyed with the idea of letting loose some hollows just to watch what happened- but providence, it seemed, had already provided more than enough of that.

He adjusted his glasses slightly. Erza Scarlet relatively quick-witted, strong and determinate, and so terribly outmatched. Shame; she might have made an interesting experiment subject at some point. He made a mental note of tracking down that particular hollow- there would be some interesting data to him, undoubtedly. He yawned, half ready to return back home. The outcome was clear; nothing much else to this- the hero was dying, the monster was winning, and he was running late for tea.

Then, he felt a small surge in power, building up slowly. A furious little burst, like a small dog with a big bark, standing tall in its shortness, defiant though delusional about its strength. Perhaps there was something to Erza Scarlet, after all?

* * *

It was surreal. Again, reality was blurred with dust and wind and mountain; she could see the hollow s raised arm ready to come down on her, moving slowly, absurdly slowly, almost still- but coming down on here nonetheless. She could see it as clearly as she saw the dust whirling all around her. And looking up at the mountain, so clearly there and so clearly not, she heard it speak to her.

_"Have you lost your will to fight? To live?"_

"To hell with you!" Erza spat. "I have done_ everything_\- and if you re a part of me, if you come from in here- she tapped her head with a finger- then you _know_ I m not giving up. So shut up and let me die, if that s what s coming next!"

_"You are yourself as you always were."_ The mountain said cryptically. "_And I am you- but a younger you, one that desires to live."_

"What do you want?" She shouted, her voice cracking.

_W"e want to live."_ The voice said, for the first time showing some emotion, a hint of concern. "_You must not die yet. You are not yet ready- but because we wish to live, I shall lend you my power for an instant. It will hurt you- are you ready?"_

"I am ready, all right." Erza said bitterly. "Whatever you got to do, do it."

And the landscape faded and all that was left was reality; bloodstained, dying reality, monster and dead bodies, steppe and mist- and a clawed hand coming down.  
And she felt the power in her, surging through her, burning like fire. Standing up, she burst forward, past the claw that hit her, slashing widely as she hopped into the air, the force of her reiatsu slashing forward in a red, destructive arc. The force bit into Hanyval, cutting from his wretched hip to his wretched shoulder, blood so red it looked black staining her face, her clothes.

Hanyval let out a long, shrieking howl, and staggered back, clutching his side. Blood spilled out copiously, and he was breathing long, heavy breaths. Erza felt the force, the power, like nothing ever before- and her hate gave her the will to use it. Shouting an incomprehensible curse at the monster, she struck again, and again, leaving deep, bleeding cuts. He tried to defend himself, block her blows with his arms, but Erza was relentless, pounding him over and over, each strike drawing blood, cutting deep into its flesh. Finally, Erza hit one hard, long final time, and the monster s arm cracked. Breathing heavily, Erza faced him. The power was draining now- but he was grievously injured.

He gave her a look of long, vicious hate, and Erza felt a sinking feeling- the power was draining from her, rapidly; she d be helpless- but the hollow finally turned away from her, ripping open a portal to the world it had come from. Erza sunk to her knees, exhausted. She sat like that for several minutes- or it could have been hours, or it could have been seconds. Time had lost meaning. Slowly, she looked around her. There was Remon, his body crushed, drawing a few last, raspy breaths. There was Marisa, her body broken, nearly torn in half. There was Kensu, dead from the hollow s claws. There was Jiamon- both halves of him. And there was what was left of Sensuke- just the stump of an arm. She was sitting in a field of blood, all alone, and it began to sink in- everyone had died, every single one of them but her-

"Damn." Erza breathed in sharply, at the sound of that voice. Dry, tired, so haunted, but unmistakable. She turned around, and there was Rod, barely standing.

"You!" She began, breathing fast. She felt a wave of nausea run over her, and struggled to keep herself collected. "You-"

"They all died, huh." Rod said flatly, just barely hanging on to his sword. "I'm so sorry, Scarlet."

"I-" Erza said, unsure of how to react, what to say. "You did your best."

"It wasn't bloody good enough, was it?" Rod snapped, and a look of helplessness flashed across his face. Slowly, he walked up to her, sitting down on the ground across her. "Everyone's gone. And there was nothing we could do. Who'd have figured?" He raised his sword, letting it rest against his shoulder.

Erza shook her head slowly. "We're still alive." She said weakly.

"I'm sorry, Scarlet." He said again, pain running through his voice.

"I told you-"

"Sorry, cause you got to figure this one out by yourself." He said, slowly positioning the tip of his blade against his neck. "Sorry you'll have to see more of this."

There was something unbearably matter-of-factly about his voice, and she could see his wrist tense, ready to push upward, cut into his neck-

_"NO!"_ She cried. Ignoring all exhaustion, she sprung forward, grabbing the blade in her hand. It cut into her palm, drawing blood, but she held on to it stubbornly.

"What are you doing?" Rod asked, sounding confused. "I'm-"

"Don't do it." Erza said, steel in her voice. "Don't you do it, Rod Sentry."

"Why not?" He said, sounding defeated- but she could feel his grip slacken. "I'm an arsehole- that s why I didn t make any friends in school. The only people who could stand me just they're gone now, and I couldn't even help. I don't deserve more than this."

"Yes, you do." Erza said resolutely, holding on to the blade. It hurt, her blood staining it, but she held on, refusing to let go. "From now on, I'll be your friend, and you'll be mine. And we re going to make _something_ out of this. We're going to-" She let out an almost sob, a tear running down her cheek. "We're going to remember them, Rod! Together! Don t you dare leave that to just me!"

Rod shook his head, and let go of the sword. "You always were stronger." he mumbled.

"No, I'm not." She said, finally letting go of the sword. "We're all weak. That s why we need each other, to lean on. Without others, we re nothing. We'll get through, and we're going to make sure this wasn t for nothing."

"You're a wreck." He said plainly.

"So are you."

The two of them sat in silence for a long time, feeling the pain of their injuries, speaking no words, trying their best to ignore the death they had just witnessed.

And eventually, that was how the rescue party found them- sitting silent, covered in the blood of their comrades, their eyes all but dead as they stared into the distance.

* * *

**Well SHIT! That sure was dark wasn't it? I bet none of you saw THAT coming huh? **

**Now, the reason why I went this route is simple. The battles that Soul reapers and Hollows engage in are part of a never ending war. In war, their are casualty's, usually on both sides. Now, early Bleach made a good point on this, but lately, it seems to have been forgotten since the good guys always survive their battles...Final arc withstanding so far though with Yammamoto, Sasikibe, Kira, and from the looks of it, the head of the royal guard as of chapter 610. **

**What I WANTED to do here, was to show Erza that life here, that this profession, is NOT an easy one. The fatality rate of soul reapers is likely much higher than that of wizards back in Fiore. It was best for her to learn that lesson as soon as possible in my opinion, and what better way then to kill all of her classmates!?**

**Now I know that seems fucked up...and it is, but I remember something a friend of mine, a writer on this site once told me.**

**"If you love your character, then torture them. Make them go through hell and all kinds of torment .You do this, to show just what their really made of and so they can grow as a character."**

**Erza Scarlet is, without a doubt, my favorite character in all of fiction, and I KNOW something like this, while extremely harsh, cruel and depressing, can not and WILL NOT break her. It will give her something she needs for the journey ahead. **

**Motivation. Motivation to get stronger. To become strong enough to protect all of her comerades, and to ensure something like this NEVER happens again.**

**But please, do tell me what you thought of this chapter. Feedback of all kind is welcome and appreciated. **


	8. The pain of loss, and new beginings

**Written by Greatkingratt88. Thanks again man.**

**F****airy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.**

**Well, in about one week, its back to college for me. Joy. **

**Still, Ill enjoy myself the best that I can and I hope you all can do the same. Thanks for all the reviews you've left. I might not have a lot, but each one of them inspires me to continue this story.**

**So please, keep on reading and leaving reviews. ALL input is welcome. Also, if you have any ideas you want to see in this, feel free to tell me about them. If I like them enough, I just might use them!**

**Thanks once again, and Enjoy!**

* * *

There was a great mass of nothing, the merciful sensation of feeling nothing of all. Then there were dreams, terrible, terrible dreams where she saw familiar faces, young and old, all torn down and destroyed in a sea of blood. Then, at last, Erza Scarlet knew herself again, slowly waking from her sleep. She was still half asleep, and she was waking so slowly- it was like being underwater, reaching for the surface all too slowly; except the surface was coming inexorably closer, whether she liked it or not.

She had a thought. A very simple thought, but a conscious thought nonetheless.

_I feel so tired._

Why did she feel so tired? Where was this? Could she just sleep again? No- there came that rush, and the land of dreams faded away, and the memories of her dreams- thankfully- washed away like a sand castle under a wave, and Erza opened her eyes again. Moving her head slightly, she yawned, and looked around. There was some source of light, nearly blinding her- a window, perhaps? She blinked frantically, until her eyes had adjusted to the light. She saw the white, clean walls of a hospital room. Why... was she in a hospital?  
Defying her tiredness, she made a fist, and prepared to get up on her feet. As she stretched her muscles- sore and stiff; she had to have been asleep for a long time- she felt the pain in her body, and saw the bandages.

And, hitting her like a speeding locomotive, the memories came back. Everyone was gone! Erza sat bolt upright, almost welcoming the pain of her not-quite-healed wounds. She remembered it- she remembered Marisa, she remembered Sensuke, she remembered Remon. She remembered her close friends, her classmates, and... She could not actively think about it, nothing could make her do that at this moment, but her mind filled with images. A desolate land, covered in blood and body parts, the sounds of despaired cries resonating through the air. Good people- Marisa, who had helped her through school when she would have failed without her, Sensuke who'd make her laugh, who was such a goof but so loyal, Remon who was so sour, down-to-earth and so much better of a person than he'd ever admit...

They were all dead.

Dead.

_Dead._

A wave of nausea hit her, and her body convulsed. She arched forward, retching, spitting. She couldn't vomit properly- only a little gall came out, tasting bitter in her mouth. She stayed bent forward for a few minutes, letting her body jerk, trying to spew out food that wasn't there. She felt so nauseous, so weak and sick, but it was better than feeling what she'd felt the moment before- the full weight of her memories. The dizziness, the sickness, it helped.  
But nothing lasts forever, and eventually her body settled down, and the images in her mind came back. They had never really left- it was not like the vision of a zanpakuto's realm, but she could see it before her eyes clear as day, in all its terror.

She had watched them die.

She had rallied them, given them hope, fought against the odds, promised them they could do this.

And they were all dead now.

She had failed them completely. And in one mad moment, Erza found herself genuinely wishing she had died there too, that she had joined her friends to the very end, that she hadn't lived on- that she could feel like less of a coward, less of a traitor.

But even at the brink of despair, Erza Scarlet had a will harder than steel, forged in the furnaces of Fairy Tail and tempered by friendship, violence and determination. Angrily, she pushed that notion aside- she did inot/i want to be dead, she did inot/i want to give up.

But she had let them down.

A small, reasonable part of her mind insisted that well, this couldn't be her fault, that sometimes you get overpowered and there's nothing to be done about it. And it wasn't untrue, she recognized that.

But it didn't make her feel any better, or any less guilty. A tear trailed down her cheek, and Erza, feeling grief, frustration, anger, hate, and helplessness all at once, banged her fist against the side of the bed. It was metal, hard and well reinforced, and it hurt when she banged her fist into it, over and over- but she didn't care. She barely even felt the pain; it was like her body was elsewhere, like all sensations were surreal. Tears flowed freely down her cheek, and she let out one loud cry after another, like a wounded animal. In that moment, it could barely be said that Erza knew herself, who she was, what she wanted- all that was, was a raw ball of primal emotion, of feelings too great to handle all at once. She screamed, cried, raged towards the heavens- or rather, the hospital ceiling- until she could cry no more, falling back into her bed from exhaustion, breathing rapidly.

Slowly, she began to think again. Her heard hurt, her hand even more so. Feeling the hurt, she focused on it, trying not to think of the unthinkable. It didn't quite work- she still saw their faces, ruined and stained with blood, but it was... distracting enough that it became bearable. She lay there, not knowing quite for how long, and somehow, through some small miracle, she drifted back into merciful unconsciousness. She had to have, because some time later, she opened up her eyes again, feeling the aches in her body, the pain in her hand.  
She didn't remember falling asleep, though. She closed her eyes again, and felt the tears, almost welling up again...

"Hello? "It was a soft, gentle voice, speaking quietly to her. Erza considered ignoring it, just rolling over and sleeping forever- but, she knew, there was a world out there and she was part of it.

"Hello? Are you awake?" The voice said gently.

Erza opened her eyes, and turned to look. Sitting right next to her bed was a shinigami- she might have thought it was a boy at first glance, if not for the noticeable chest she had. She had pale hair, bordering on white, and a sombre, kind expression on her face.

"Who are you?" Erza mumbled.

"I am Kotetsu Isane." The shinigami said, keeping the same gentle, quiet tone. Fourth seat of the fourth division, and your doctor.

Erza, not having anything in particular to say, remained silent.

"It looks like you hurt your hand." Isane said after a short pause. "Would you let me look at it?" Carefully, she reached out, taking Erza's wrist.

"I don't care." Erza mumbled, pulling her hand back. It really did hurt- but so what?

"Please?" Isane said, producing a bandage.

Not replying, Erza relaxed her arm, letting Isane take it. She examined it carefully, before wrapping the bandage around Erza's hand, slowly and carefully, with the confidence of a craftswoman who had done this a thousand times before.  
"It's a mild fracture, but nothing terrible." Isane said reassuringly. "It's not nowhere near as bad as your other injuries- when you came in here, most of your rib cage was broken, your sword arm was broken in five places and the muscles had torn, and you had multiple lacerations all over your body- you were bleeding something terrible. There's no need to worry, though- you're mostly recovered now."

"I don't care." Erza said coldly. She really didn't. What business did this woman have, talking about petty things like injuries, when her friends lay dead?  
That small, reasonable part of her mind reminded her that she meant no ill, that she was a doctor doing her job, but Erza wasn't much in the mood to listen.

"You will make a full recovery." Isane said, finishing the bandage. Erza gave her a look. Then it struck her- in all her grief, she had forgotten- _not everyone was dead._ Rod! He had been alive last she remembered, before everything got blurry.

"I- doctor!" Erza exclaimed, once again overwhelmed with emotion. Isane looked at her, and Erza took a moment to collect herself.  
"There... was I the only one?" Erza said, bracing herself.

"The only one?" Isane said. "You mean from the inci-"

"Yes, the incident." Erza said, feeling another tinge of nausea. "Please, just tell me. Where is he?!"

"Aside from yourself, Rodrigo Sentry survived too, with far fewer injuries. He is currently in therapy in the psychiatric ward."

Erza let out a heavy breath, and somehow it felt like a stone lifting off her shoulders. She wasn't alone. She had- she had saved him then and there. Something good had come of what she'd done.  
And then she realized that Rod must feel the same things she felt, that what she had done might not be good at all, and the nausea came again, stronger this time. She put a hand over her mouth, and a tear trailed from her eye down her cheek. Isane put a hand on her shoulder, gently stroking it.

"They say it's a miracle you survived." She said softly. "And I know you feel terrible right now. But this is the worst it will ever be. You may not be able to believe it, but it will get better."

"What do you know?" Erza snapped. What the _hell_ makes you think you can just say that?"

"You're not the first person in the world to lose somebody." Isane stood up. "I'll leave you alone for now- but not for too long." She turned, and walked towards the door. "And there is one thing you should know- I have kept it off for a while, and I will continue to keep it off for as long as I can, but an... incident like this gets people worried. Within a few days, there will be people coming to you asking questions. They might get pushy." Isane frowned, and there was a look of disapproval on her face. "I want you to know you are safe here. You have nothing to fear. Investigators can be a bit overly thorough, though- I'll make sure to be here when the time comes."

Erza blinked. What a bizarre notion- interrogation. Official reports. Such inormal/i ideas. The world, carrying on like her friends had never died at all.

"What... what do I do?" She said weakly.

"Well, you keep calm-"

"No, not about that." Erza mumbled dismissively. "They- they're all gone, and, and-" She choked up, unable to finish the sentence.

"It will hurt forever." Isane said quietly. "And that means they meant something to you. Remember them, Erza. Honour their memory. That's all you can do for them now."

Stumped, weak and wordless, Erza simply nodded. Isane nodded back.

"I have to go now." She said, opening the door. "But I'll be back. I'll send somebody over with a sedative, if you need help sleeping too."

Erza might have appreciated the concern, but where she was now, all she could do was lie back, and wait to fall back into sleep once more.

* * *

Erza later learned that she had been unconscious for two weeks, and she would spend six more weeks in that hospital too. She was healed fully after three, but the captain of division four, Unohana Retsu, explained to her that healing was about more than just cuts closing, bones mending or illnesses passing. The mind needed to heal too, and to that effect, Erza would spend much time talking with Isane, processing her emotions as best as she could. She was never pressured to talk, but eventually she was able to face it- all that death, that she could not have helped it, that she had lost precious people who would never come back. It was not quite healing, but it helped. Isane was a kind, understanding person, and just talking about it went a long way.

She _was_ pressured to talk about the incident by second division investigators, though, however much Isane protested. She was asked to rebuild the scenario in as much detail as possible, over and over, by suspicious men with stone-faced indifference and no tolerance for inconsistency. In the end, for all the grilling- it hurt her, but she forced herself through it- it was declared a freak accident. An act of god, a tragic mishap that should never have happened.

It was almost unbelievable. What had happened out there on the plains had been unfair, unimaginably unfair. To think there was no design to it, that this just _happened_ was almost too much to swallow. But as she now knew, the universe did not care what you thought was believable. It did not care who you loved, or how you felt, or how strong or weak you were. An accident had happened; it seemed to be nobody's fault- there really had been no indication that place would be a hub of spiritual energy; no numbers had been tampered with- and she was left to deal with it by herself.  
The investigation closed, but not the questions that came with it. When she did walk outside, people whispered, pointed. She was the massacre survivor, the blood-baptized student thrust into their world in the cruelest way possible. The scarlet massacre , they called it- words whispered behind her back, never said to her face. Erza hated it. They'd look at her like she was broken, damaged goods- something to be cautious about. And honestly, was she not broken? Such thoughts would come to her every now and then- and each time, she pushed them away. She was Erza Scarlet. She was everything Fairy Tail should be. She would _not_ crack.

At least, that's what she told herself, but at night, alone with her mind in the dark, she had a hard time believing it.

* * *

"And how are you feeling today?" Isane said. It was two in the afternoon, and Erza, who after over two months of care had finally been allowed to do some menial chores, was back for another session with Isane.

"Okay, I guess." Erza said, shrugging. No worse than yesterday or the day before that. She took a seat on the couch, in the simple white-walled room where Isane had her office.

"Have you had any more nightmares?"

Erza flinched. "They... come and go. Less frequently, at least."

"Any recently?" Seeing Erza's expression, she reassuringly said, "You don't have to. This is all about you- we'll talk about what you want to talk about."

"No, it's fine..." Erza mumbled. "Mostly, it's just them. The three of them... I dreamed about them just last night."

"Which one was it this time?"

"The one where they just stand around, pale as ghosts, just staring at me. And they don't point fingers, or blame me, but I can ifeel/i it- in the dream, they're disappointed. I should be with them, they think- I was wrong to survive..."

"It's common, of course." Isane nodded. "Our psyche- our minds- have a way of creating coping strategies. Grief is overwhelming, even when it's just one person- when it's several... sometimes I am surprised you didn't repress any of it."

"Sometimes I wish I could." Erza leaned forward, crossing her fingers. This was always a little uncomfortable- but she trusted Isane so far.

"Feeling guilt in a situation like this is perfectly normal."

"I know- you told me a hundred times."

"Some things can never be emphasized enough. You left friends behind when you died and came here- did you feel guilty about that?"

"No, just... sad, I guess." She mumbled, feeling a pang of emotion at the thought of them.

"And then you made new friends, forming an attachment... for a personality like yours, with such a fixation on close bonds, protection and companionship, this had to be especially disastrous- we all define ourselves through other people, but a collectivist individual like yourself even more so than others."

"A what now?"

"Somebody who's really used to being part of a group. What you're experiencing isn't just grief- it's the trauma of an emotional handicap, of being alone when you've lived your life- and afterlife- always in the company of others."

"So what, I just make new friends? Forget about the others?" Erza snapped, feeling anger rising in her chest. That reasonable part of her knew that this was not what Isane meant, that she was just a doctor caring for her patient, doing what she thought was best- but emotion wasn't terribly rational.

Isane shook her head. "No, that's not what I wanted to say at all. But I am saying you are the kind of person who needs other people. You are strong, very strong, but what are you, in your own opinion, without your friends?"

"What the hell do you even mean?" Erza said irritably. "Do you want me to say I'm nothing without them? That it's just pointless being alone, that I- I- she choked up. 'Cause it's true, you know. I... without them... " She fought not to cry again; she had cried enough already.

"Some people thrive on loneliness." Isane said gently. "And you are not one of those people."

"So what- do I just go out, walk up to somebody and go 'Hallo, want to be my friend'? It doesn't come that easy!"

"No, but don't close yourself to new possibilities. You've been through something horrible- but if you let that close your heart, it will only get worse."

Erza was breathing heavily, holding back the tears.

"How about this?" Isane said, putting a hand on Erza's shoulder. "You couldn't save them that day. Nobody short of a captain could have saved everyone there. They are gone- but they live in your memory. And the way I see it, you have a choice. You can either let this incident define who you are, become one with your pain and never face reality again- or you could use it."

"Use it?" Erza said despairingly. "What- what the hell does that mean?"

"Your friends died that day. But perhaps... perhaps you can remember that when you swing your sword the next time. Become stronger, and remember this every time it gets hard. Become stronger, so that it will never happen again, never when you're around. Become stronger- aim for the top. Become a captain. Protect the people who need protecting. Be the best you can be, and use this... tragedy. Let it motivate you."

Erza looked at her confusedly, a tear at the edge of her eye. "...you think I could become a captain?"

Isane smiled. "I've reviewed your combat data. You have exceedingly strong spiritual energy, and an explosive increase in combat skills across the board from when you started school. Few people can shoot for the stars in the Gotei- but you are one of them. Give it your all, and you can make it. I have faith in you."

Erza took a deep breath. "You're saying this 'cause you're my doctor, though."

"It's true, I'm probably biased- but that doesn't mean what I said isn't true. You are exceptional. Use that to help people. I can think of nothing more therapeutic."

Erza sighed. "Thanks, doctor." She sniffed, wiping the corner of her eye.

Isane smiled. "Don't mention it. I think we've made great progress here today."

That would not be the last of her visits, not for years to come, but Erza was slowly learning to move on. Life found a way to keep going, through pain and horror and weakness, because if it didn't it wouldn't be life anymore, and Erza was very much alive. She did her chores, took her sessions, and one day at a time, life moved on. Without her friends, but with Erza still in it, not clinging to her past any more than necessary.

She slept uneasily, though. Her dreams were still haunted by the pale, dead faces of her friends, staring down at her. Sometimes accusing, sometimes pitying her, sometimes, rarely, even smiling. She did not relish sleep, even when she was dead tired, for the night was long and full of terrors.  
And even in her inner world, in the realm of her zanpakutou, things had changed. She still couldn't climb that mountain, she still got an inch further every time- but the sky had turned red, the colour of a dark pink, and the ground was scarred with cracks. She wondered often whether this was because of what had happened to her, or because she'd been forced to use the power of her blade before it was time. At any rate, climbing was no easier.

But climb, she did.

A couple weeks later, Erza was once again wrapping up a session with Isane. The doctor had been very helpful to her so far, though the road to healing was slow.

"I dunno, Isane..." Erza muttered, leaning back in her chair. "I'm feeling better. Things are... fine."

"You don't sound that convinced, you know." Isane said, smiling lightly. "You're doing better, but you're not 'fine', in my opinion, not yet."

Erza groaned. "So will I be clear for service any time soon? I mean, I do still have nightmares, but I'm not unfit for duty, you know."

"Soon." Isane said reassuringly.

"You've said that a lot of times."

"If you'd like to make a complaint to Captain Unohana about this, you're free to do so."

"No, no, by all means let's not bother her." Erza said, holding up her hands. That captain had a way of terrorizing you with just a smile, and while she wasn't sure _why_ she was so scary, she wasn't keen to try and find out. "Still... I'm doing well. What kind of progress is there left that I can make just by sitting around and talking? I've talked about how 'that makes me feel' a million times now."

Isane nodded. "It's true. Some of your therapy is... getting stale in some ways. To be honest, I'm not sure we can just spur the process forward- sometimes, change comes slowly."

"There's nothing I can do, then? Or you?"

"No..." Isane said, but Erza noticed something different in her voice.

"Nothing, really? Not anything?"

"I think maybe we should focus on-"

"If you know something, tell me." Erza said sharply.

"There is... one thing that came to mind. But I don't want to say- it's best if you let it go."

"You don't get to say half a sentence." Erza nodded enthusiastically, her tone coaxing. "Come on- don't leave me hanging."

"I don't want to say," Isane said carefully, "because what came to mind could do more damage than good. And once I told you, you wouldn't let go. You really should think carefully-"

"Think carefully about what? Something I don't know? What is it?" Erza sighed. "Come on, doctor, _please_?"

"...there is a way," Isane began hesitantly, "a way, _theoretically_, where you can observe the living from afar. There's a newly created device from the twelfth division. It's meant as a spying mechanism, but it doesn't have to be one. And it could show you the living- the people you left behind, and what they do. What life without you is like. You'd be able to see how they are doing- and how they've moved on without you. You shouldn't- you're dead, you're in the afterlife, and you should move on. It would be a form of self-inflicted emotional torture, the worst form of nostalgia. Do you want that?"

"...it could show me my old friends?" Erza said, almost breathlessly. "Even if they are from another world?" It had become clear to her, over time, that her world of the living was not the same as the regular world. A mystery for another time; nothing she knew how to answer.

"I am told the machine links you to your past, using your memories as a sort of... beacon. So yes. In theory."

Erza put a hand over her mouth, feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought. To see them all again- to see them, see what they were doing and what had become of them, even though they could not see her back- she wanted it more than anything, she realized, more than anything she could think of. She missed them all; she always had, but the longing struck her harder now than before, at this reminder of her old life.

She had to do it.

"I... I hear what you're saying." She mumbled weakly. "It will hurt a lot, and maybe that's true. But I'm already hurt, and I don't see how that could get much worse."

"Trust me, it can _always_ get worse." Isane said, patting her back. "You should-"

"Please! Erza snapped. I have to go there- even if I have to beat down every guard in the way, tear up the division, I will- I will-"

"Calm down." Isane said, sighing. "If you insist, if you're really, really sure, then... maybe. But I want to go on the record and say I am against it. And I'm not letting you go alone either."

Erza nodded, taking a few deep breaths. "Fine. Anything you want, doctor. I'll do it. Just... let me see them again."

Isane sighed again. She was going to regret this...

A few days later, the two of them marched into the twelfth division's storage, where the device was apparently being kept. Twelfth division wasn't a very merry place- busy people hurrying around, hard at work patrolling, studying, experimenting, writing reports, doing... well, sciencey things, Erza guessed. But though the place was dreary, though the people were unwelcoming, Erza couldn't have cared less. She was overcome with excitement, with trepidation, so many things running through her mind- nervousness, joy, dread, anticipation, a great sense of unease, and more than anything, ipurpose/i. She was here to see. She was here to remind herself of where she came from.

She was here to see her friends again.

Isane led her through winding, white corridors, following a set of written instructions given to them by an apathetic division member attending the reception. They walked the wrong way, several times, and Erza added impatience to the number of sensations running through her busy, nervous mind.  
But eventually, finally, at last, Isane led her to a very unremarkable-looking door.

"This has to be it, right?" Erza mumbled.

"Fourth time's a charm." Isane said, smiling. She opened the door, and revealed a room just as unremarkable as the door before it. It was storage, plain and simple- boxes collecting dust, shelves full of small objects, glass flasks and instruments and chemicals. A number of objects of varying sizes were on the floor, covered with sheets. Erza didn't know what they might be, and she didn't care.

At the far end of the room. Isane said, looking at the instructions. Looking like a large microscope.

That would help if I knew what a microscope looked like. Erza stated. She looked around, slowly walking down the room. It was surprisingly spacious- it was crowded, full of things, but large. She walked, Isane in tow, looking around. What would it be? She made her way to the end of the room, looking around, trying to find it. She grabbed the sheet pulled over one device, pulled it off- it was nothing she recognized, and it certainly didn't look like it would help her. She grabbed another-

"Calm down. You're not going to find what you look for when you've no idea what it looks like." Isane said.

"Well, do you?" Erza snapped.

"Calm down." Isane said, firmly this time. "According to the instructions..." She looked around deliberately for a little while, then reached for a sheet pulled over something tall, about as tall as herself. She pulled it off, revealing a white, tall... _thing_ standing on three legs. Made of metal, with a tall stem, and on the top was a pole holding a big, round disc of some kind. It was almost like some bizarre kind of street lamp.

"This is it?"

"It should be." Isane nodded. "It fits the description, at least."

"Why'd they put it all the way back here?" Erza wondered, inspecting the machine. "It looked pristine- new, almost unused."

"I am told it was unfinished- apparently they ran out of funding. Too expensive to use at a useful scale."

"But it works?"

"They said so, yes."

"...how?" Erza said, walking around it, looking for some way of... making it do something, anything.

Isane traced her hand along the stem of the machine, and flicked a switch Erza hadn't noticed. The machine let out a light hum, and a faint light began to glow from the metal disc.  
"You press the 'on' button." Isane said, and if Erza hadn't known any better, she'd have sworn she heard sarcasm in her voice.

"And then what?"

"You sit under the disc, I think. The process is automatic, they wrote. So... take your seat."

Tentatively, Erza sat herself down cross-legged on the machine. The disk hovered over her head, its humming intensifying.

"Um..." Erza said, feeling a little... well, nothing in particular. Normal. "Wasn't this machine supposed to do something? What do I do now?"

"Just be patient."

"I don't know, doctor- maybe this was a bad idea-"

And then suddenly, there was a complete black-out, except everything wasn't black- everything was white. Panicking, she tried looking around, she tried moving her arms- only to realize she couldn't feel her arms, feel her body, or even see it. She couldn't feel anything; everything was nothing- the only thing she had was her own mind, knowing that she existed.  
Fortunately, though, this white limbo was only temporary. After a little while- or maybe a long one; who could tell how time passed- there were ripples in the whiteness. Streaks of green and blue could be seen through it, and slowly she realized she- whatever she was at this point; her body was still absent- was in the clouds. And, given how rapidly they were passing her, she was in free fall.

Panic struck her again. Falling from the skies into the ground was high on the list of things she would rather not do. But the little rational voice in her head, keeping her level even as the ground came ever closer, wondered if you could really hurt yourself if you had no mass? Erza checked again- nope, no body, just her mind hurtling through space towards the ground.

And as she passed the clouds, she realized she knew the shapes she was hurtling towards. She recognised the shape of the continent where Fiore lay, a large peninsula. She could see Fiore itself, as she came closer. She recognized the places where the major cities lay. She hadn't been a geography enthusiast- but right now, she was never happier that she at least had learned the world map.  
And, she realized, her descent was guided. She was headed right for that one piece of land, that one exact spot where Fairy Tail rested.

She was headed home.

But it wasn't home anymore, she thought, feeling a pang of emotion. It had been home, but...

And then the ground came awful close, much more than what Erza felt comfortable with. She steeled herself, bracing for impact-

And then she was on the ground, ground to a perfect halt in no time at all. No pain, nothing broken- she was standing- floating, actually- right before the guild doors. Could she move around? Hesitantly, Erza willed herself forward. And simple enough, she floated forward through the doors.  
She might not have had a body with her, but the emotion that hit her was still real. Over seven years had passed for her, but it looked like nothing had changed.

She could see them again. Right before her eyes, she saw them again. There was Natsu and Lucy, sitting by a table, and she was hit by an overwhelming urge to walk up to them, say hallo, ask them how they had been. Before she realized it, she was in front of them, hovering next to their table. Natsu, dumb, reliable, loveable Natsu, was chewing on a piece of meat, while Lucy scalded him for his poor table manners- but not too harshly. It was just like something Erza might have done. And at the same table sat Gray, shirtless as usual. He said something snide to Natsu- somehow, she couldn't tell quite what- and Natsu threw his plate at him. The two of them immediately got into a fist-fight, tumbling about on the floor, and Erza got the most nostalgic impulse to give them both a thorough beating. Just like old times.

Lucy yelled at them, but the two wildlings didn't listen- they never did respond to much else besides violence, and inwardly, Erza smiled wistfully. They were the same. Life had kept going, even with her dead.  
And before long, several other guild members had joined in the fight, and everything erupted into chaos. Wonderful, familiar, nostalgic chaos, the kind she had sometimes had to put down almost daily. The chaos of people who loved each other, who knew how to live free of restraint, like true friends who knew that a few punches here and there was nothing to fuss over.

And then, suddenly, the fighting ceased. A voice could be heard, loud, rough, and distinctly female, and Natsu and Gray both looked terrified. Erza looked, and saw a tall, busty, dark-haired woman, wearing white- white coat, white boots, white gloves; the only exception were her black, tight pants. At her side hung a very long, very serious-looking curved sword, not unlike her own zanpakutou, but much larger.  
She barked something at Natsu and Gray, and the two, tame as kittens, pretended to never have fought in the first place.

_Life really moved on, didn't it?_

The woman looked oddly familiar, but Erza didn't dwell too much on it. She looked around the room; there were so many other people left to see. She could see Cana, she could see Levi, she could even see Laxus, that arrogant man- they were all there.  
And it hurt to watch. Because this was home, but it wasn't home anymore. She realized why Isane had been so reluctant- this was a special kind of torture, in a way. And yet, she couldn't get enough of it.  
Then, on the wall, she saw it.

A single photograph, untouched by all the violence, hanging on the wall. It was _her._

She got closer, and saw a bit of small text under it.

"Erza Scarlet, the greatest female mage Fairy Tail has ever known. She lived for her friends, and died saving others. She will never be forgotten."

It was short, plain, simple and honest, just like Fairy Tail should be. And at once, she didn't regret coming back, even with all this. Life... had moved on. But she wasn't forgotten at all.

She heard another voice, one that sounded oh so familiar- guild master Makarov. It was Gray, Natsu, Lucy, and that new woman, being handed a mission. They were talking, laughing, Natsu no doubt boasting and making dumb comments- oh, what she wouldn't have given to hear them clearly...

The dark-haired woman said something that sounded authoritative, and the four of them began to walk out the door.

It was enough, Erza decided. She was thick with emotion, and watching them leave, just like she had done with them so many times, it was about as much as she could take. She did not hate this new woman- but gods be damned, being replaced, however good the reason, that wasn't something she would ever be happy about.  
She wanted out. How did you get out? Did you just... will yourself out?

For a moment, she almost panicked, fearing that she would be stuck forever- a disembodied conscience, a shadow of a ghost doomed to forever watch what she couldn't have-  
But then it all blurred, and she pulled back rapidly, out of the guild house, out of the planet's atmosphere, leaving Fiore behind her rapidly. Back into whiteness-

"Are you okay?" She heard a voice, clear enough, through the blur. She blinked, her eyes readjusting to the light. It was, of course, Isane, worriedly patting Erza's shoulder.  
"Are you okay?" She asked again.

"I..." Erza said, looking up. When and how had she ended up on the floor? She tried to sit up, but found herself too weak, still too overwhelmed. Weakly, she reached out with a hand, fumbling. Isane took it, and gently but firmly pulled her to her feet. She was surprisingly strong, wasn't she?

"How do you feel?" She asked.

"Doctor..." Erza mumbled. "Oh god, you were right- I saw everything, I saw everyone and they were doing just fine, and, and, and I should be happy for them but- but-" Too overwhelmed, too emotional, she trailed off, stuttering. Her shoulders shook lightly, as she begun to cry. Isane wrapped her arms around Erza, and pulled her in close.

"It's all right." She said, almost rocking her a little. "It's fine. You're going to be fine."

Erza didn't, at that point, feel like she'd ever be 'fine' again- but the closeness, just somebody being there for her meant a lot. God knows she wouldn't have wanted to be alone right now.

"It's all gone." She mumbled. "Everything- everything's all gone, doctor- I can't see them again-"

Ssssh. Isane said soothingly. "Yes. You can. One day, you could travel there again. Maybe I shouldn't say this- but you could. Travel between worlds is possible- we do it all the time."

"R-really?" Erza said, wiping her tears off- the damn things wouldn't stop flowing; it was like floodgates breaking.

"One day, you could. I don't want to promise you anything- but it should be doable. So work hard, and maybe one day..."

Erza nodded, feeling too weak to do much else. She didn't go to much therapy afterward- it still continued, every other week, but she was feeling better. As much as it had hurt to see her friends having moved on, it was a bit of a wake-up call. This was where she belonged now, and she would make her home here. And on top of that, she remembered everything now; it had all come back. From being a child slave to being picked up by Fairy Tail, right up to Jellal and her own death... it was all back now.

As time passed, Erza was slowly phased back into duty. Aizen Sousuke, her old teacher, rose to the position of captain, after no less than four captains and four lieutenants had died- victims of inhuman, heretical experiments by the traitor Urahara Kisuke. In one fell swoop, the Gotei had lost five captains. It was a shocking event, but not quite so much for Erza- very little seemed to shock her these days.

At around the same time, Captain Unohana deemed her fit for duty again- _finally_\- and it was time to apply for a division. At long last, one sunny day, she walked out of the hospital for good (or until she got herself hurt again), intent on heading down to the office of whatever-it-was-called, where she could file the right papers. She knew where that was, at least. Or so she hoped.  
Her hopes, however, were dashed. Seven years of schooling, and the Gotei was still a large and confusing place to her, and before long, she found herself lost in the streets. Luckily, her aimless wandering did not leave her alone for long. From out a barracks, she saw a familiar figure walk.

Rod.

She hadn't spoken to him at all, not since _then_, but... she'd have to, wouldn't she? She had promised they were friends, and Erza did not take such things lightly. Waving a hand, she called out to him.

"Rod! Over here!"

He looked at her, and his face was so... different. It wasn't scarred or mutilated, but his eyes were tired, so tired, as if nothing in the world really mattered. He did not seem unhappy to see her, though; a very small and very temporary smile went across his face, and he slowly walked up to her.

"How are you?" She asked.

"Been better." He said, scratching the back of his head. He had never been one for exaggeration. "They just let me out- I thought Captain Unohana would never let me leave."

"Same thing for me." Erza said. She tried to sound cheerful, but found herself unable- neither of them had much to be cheery about at the moment. "At first I felt she was just being unfair... but in the end, I don't blame her."

"Had to sit in a room and talk about my sodding _feelings_." Rod mumbled sourly. "I saw a lotta people die- how do they _think_ you feel after that?"

"It helps, though." Erza said quietly. "By the way, do you know the way to um, the place where you can apply for a division?"

"Was just heading over there myself." Rod said, shrugging. "I'll show you the way." The two of them began walking, neither eager to speak again. They had to, though, Erza realized.

"Uh, so..." She began lamely. What did you say, really? 'I'm glad I saved you from dying when everyone else already died?' 'It's too bad everyone is dead, want a hug?'

She didn't have to think of something to say, though.  
"I know." Rod said. "It's all... up here, isn't it?" He said, pointing to his temple.

"What is?"

"You know what I'm talking about." he said gravely. "You know, I talked to the brain-doctors 'cos I had to, but I never told one of them about that last part. The part that got you that scar on your palm."

"The part where..."

"Aye, that part." He shook his head, struggling to get the words out. "I... I don't want to be dead. For a while I did, but here I am. I had a long good think about things, and... I'm not glad to be alive persay, but I want to keep going. And I wouldn't be here if you hadn't..." He trailed off a bit.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Erza mumbled.

They kept walking in silence for a bit.

"I'm joining second." Rod said after a bit. "Gonna try for special ops."

"Didn't you just say you wanted to be alive?"

He shrugged. "I'll think of it as a test. If I live through those kinda missions, then I'm good at my job. If I don't, then I'll be dead. He shrugged again. There's good money in it, too."

Erza scoffed. "Money's a weak excuse."

"What're you joinin', then?"

"Eleventh."

"Single woman along a buncha undisciplined, macho thugs who think of chivalry as a poncy nob thing- and you question if _I_ want to stay alive?"

"Was that a joke?" Erza said, smiling.

"Maybe." He murmured. "Be careful, though."

"I will." She said, flexing her arm and making a fist. "And if they try anything, I'll teach them what happens. I think a few broken arms or wrists should get the message through."

Rod grunted something inaudible, and the two walked the rest of the way quietly, until they reached the whatever-it-was-called office of applying to things.

After a rather tedious process involving an unreasonable amount of signing forms, applications, papers of all kinds, Erza was sent on her not-so-merry way to the eleventh division. There, she had been told, she'd report to a seated officer, show him her papers, and they'd take it from there. It seemed a lot simpler than the application process itself, and Erza found herself feeling a good bit of contempt for bureaucracy. Well, at least she was on her way to the least bureaucratic division in the Gotei...

After getting lost again- twice- she finally made her way there, walking through the gates of division eleven and into its grounds. The group of anarchic, unreasoned berserkers and thugs that everyone else kept telling her were the worst in the Gotei. Part of her looked forward to that- in Fairy Tail, they'd never thought much of authority for the sake of authority, following their guild leader only because they respected him, because he cared about them all and what was best for them. It was optimistic, she realized, but she kind of hoped this would be... similar, at least.

The grounds themselves weren't, that was for sure. It were the same kind of professional-looking barracks, in the same style of architecture as everywhere else in the Gotei. People were keeping busy, at least- some she could see where training with wooden swords, some were pounding each other with nothing but their fists- some seeming like genuine close combat excercises, others like actual fist fights.  
And others still were sitting on the ground, drinking what she assumed was cheap sak . Men, men everywhere, bearded or without beards, scarred or not scarred, all of them looking tough- or trying to. And quite a few of them were staring at her, quite unashamedly. Erza didn't let it bother her, and walked up to one of the groups sitting down, three men looking sweaty, probably from exercise.

"Excuse me," she began, "I'm uh, here to report for duty. Are any of you seated officers?" She tried sensing for reiatsu, and well, they had enough of it to not be considered small fry, at least.

"Aye." One of them, a big man with a thick mustache and a water skin in his hand- although it probably wasn't water. "Aye, I'm an eighteenth seat, an' my friends here are both twentieths."

"Oh, good. Then-"

"Question is, what's a chick doin' here, 'reportin' for duty'?" He said, getting to his feet.

"I'm here to join your division. I signed the papers and everything-" She said, producing the papers from her shihakusho.

"Papers!" The man sneered, slapping them out of her hand. Little girl, this is eleventh division. If you need a paper saying you're a badass what can join us, then you ain't a badass at all."

"Hey!" Erza exclaimed angrily.

"Hey, wot?" He said, coming in close. He was a few inches taller than her, and had some pretty noticeable muscles.

"Ya wanna be careful, Kanabe." One of his friends said, taking a swig. "I know that face- she's the one who survived the scarlet massacre. The blood princess." He laughed.

Erza balled her first, and grit her teeth. "Say that again."

"What, 'scarlet massacre' or 'blood princess'?" Kanabe said, putting his face uncomfortably close to hers. "Get the fuck outta here. This is a place for _men_, not-"

Erza's fist connected squarely with his jaw, lifting his feet off the ground. Before he even hit the ground, Erza had grabbed him by the neck, slamming him into the ground. Angrily, she slammed her fist into his face once, twice, ignoring his struggles to get out of her steely grip. His two friends got up on their feet, advancing on her. She stood up, holding Kanabe by the collar. He was bleeding from his mouth and nose, and Erza shot the two of them a dirty look.

"If you want some, come and get it." She said darkly. "But I just knocked the air out of somebody two ranks higher than you. You may wanna rethink that."

The two of them looked at each other nervously. Their fists were balled, but they looked uncertain- good.

"Well, whadda we got here?" She heard a rough voice from behind her, and she turned around, dropping Kanabe, who let out a small groan. The man who had addressed her was a mean-looking burly man, with a captain's haori, carrying his sword against his shoulder.

"Erza Scarlet reporting for duty, sir." She said in a low tone.

"So fuckin' formal. He grinned. I'm Kiganjo Kenpachi, yer captain. And you just beat up a dumb punk who's supposed to be your superior. That's insubordination, ain't it?"

Well, this wasn't exactly a good start.

"S'right, sir!" Kanabe groaned, still on the ground. "She's fuckin' crazy, just attacking me outta nowhere! She should be flogged!"

Sound advice. Kiganjo said, nodding. "Then again, you just got pounded into the ground by a weak little girl. What's that say about you, Kanabe?"

"Uhm..."

"You're demoted to twentieth seat." Kiganjo said casually.

_"What?"_

"Forget about the flogging. We don't do that here." The captain said reassuringly. "And don't worry about the whole 'girl' thing- the only question is, can ya fight?"

Everyone was looking at them now, and Erza felt a little uncomfortable. This wasn't how she pictured it'd go.

"Yes, sir. I can fight." Deciding to bare her fangs a little, she added, "In fact, I think I could beat almost anyone here if I had to."

It was an arrogant thing to say, and Erza didn't quite believe it- there were punks like Kanabe, but also many strong, experienced fighters around. But a bit of tough talk might be appropriate.

Kiganjo let out a long, hearty laugh. "Live through a massacre, and come out kickin'- and with an attitude to boot! I like it! Yer full of shit- but I like it." He grinned. "Welcome to division eleven, girl. Since ya just pounded Kanabe, how about you take his rank at seat eighteen- or should I just give you the captain's coat at once?"

"N-no, sir! Thank you sir!" She said, giving him an awkward salute.

Well, this _was_ going a bit better...

* * *

**Well, there you have it, chapter 8. Naturally, we couldn't just have her get over _that_ incident in a few paragraphs. I felt most of this chapter should deal with the emotional problems one would have in a situation like this, especially since this is someone who is from fairy tail where friends mean quite a lot to them. Add in Erza's past history with the tower of heaven, and...well, she's gonna be hit by this hard. Of course, given that this is Erza mother fucking Scarlet,its not anything she cant recover from. Her recovery isn't fully over yet though, tough times still lie ahead.**

**FINALLY, we are at the 11th division. The best place for where Erza could fit in, and it fits with her skill set quite well. And, as you all saw, she will NOT be taking anyone's shit. However, I'm pretty sure that none of you saw Kiganjo as being her captain. I think it was a nice surprise. Oh don't worry though, Zaraki WILL be showing up, how could I NOT? **

**And finally, yes, Erza gets ALL of her memory's back. I figured it would be good to show how things are going in the fairytail universe. Naturally ALOT had changed from her dying. Now don't worry, I plan on chapters that will SHOW what has happened over there, but for now, I want to focus on Erza. Also, just who IS this woman who has taken her place in Fairy tail? I wont say, but it IS someone you know.**

**Thank you all so much for reading my story. It means a lot. **

**A DOUBLE thank you though if you leave a review. I always love hearing feedback, so Please, keep them all coming!**


	9. New life in the 11th

**Written by Greatkingratt88. Thanks again man.**

**F****airy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.**

**Damn, its been far too long since the last update to my liking. Sorry about that. My writer was a bit busy with work, so he had a tight schedule. I'm certainly hoping this doesn't happen again, but, the world is quiet unpredictable.**

**Thanks for taking your time to read once again! Also, feel free to leave a review for this, or any other chapters, I would REALLY appreciate it, as it lets us know if we're doing a good job or not.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy the next chapter of "The Life and Death of Erza Scarlet"!**

* * *

A month had passed since Erza had joined the eleventh division, and all in all, she was content. It was hard work; drill exercises, patrols and frequent combat- simulated and real. They would often patrol dangerous areas, or hunt for hollows, and though it was dangerous work, it suited Erza well.  
But of course, there was also time to relax, to sit back and drink and rest your muscles- Erza didn't drink much of the sake, but the rest was welcome. The pay was fair, although there didn't seem to be overmuch to spend it on.

There would still be some men who'd make a comment here and there, direct or insinuated, about her having ovaries- but being eighteenth seat already put her above most division members, and her fearsome power let her trounce anybody who crossed any kind of line. After having beaten that first officer, all it took was a few knock-outs here and there- one hit KO each time; she was stronger than most still- and the division's members seemed to get the message. She was gaining if not acceptance, then at least some respect. She could settle for that.

Yes, her duties were all right- it was a bit stiffer, more professionally minded than it had been in Fairy Tail, where most members did as they pleased so long as they did their part to keep the guild afloat, but she wasn't bullied, and she was mostly treated fairly. The memory of the massacre still haunted her when she was out on patrol, but she had learned to handle it by now; it had become a nasty memory, definitely second to her sense of duty.

Her division was home to some disagreeable people, though, as she had experienced just the other day. Out on a patrol, another eventless walk up and down the streets, she had seen four men she recognized from her own division in the distance. Taking her time- patrol was not a duty that required much effort- she had walked up closer. But then, as she could see it more clearly, it looked like a scuffle. Were they fighting? That did sound like them...  
But as she got closer still, she saw that it were two people down on the ground, shoved around by the four division members. She knew them not by name, but recognized them as seated officers- officers, who apparently liked kicking people when they were down. And laughing about it.

A sensation rose in her chest, pure anger overflowing her mind, almost faster than she could perceive, and her fists had balled before she had even noticed it. Picking up her pace, she walked up closer. The two people on the ground were a boy and a girl, two young fourth division recruits carrying supply bags.

"Listen, kids," one officer said- looking and sounding exactly like the type of person Erza knew to be in charge, aware of it, and intent on rubbing it in the face of everyone he could- "y'all need to learn a thing or two about respect, you see?" The men around him laughed, as he put his foot on the back of the girl, grinding her down into the dirt.

"Please, sir," the boy pleaded, "we just- we just have to deliver these to division f-five, and we'll be-be on our way!"

"You think you're tough, talking back to us?" Another officer said, chuckling and kicking the boy on the rear.

"N-no, sir, but-"

"See, this is what I'm talking about," the first officer said, yawning, "these fourth division punks just got no goddamn respect for nobody." He leaned in over the girl, and sneered, "ain't that right, little one? Ain't the two of ya just pitiful?"

"I-I-" the girl stuttered. It would have continued, for god knows how long, but Erza was right there now, standing right behind him. She forced herself to be calm- well, calm as could be. Gently, she tapped the leading officer on the shoulder. Surprised, he turned around.

"What?" He said irritably. "Oh- it's you, ain't it? Blood princess, and all that. What you want?"

Erza's fist slammed into his jaw, gratuitously and powerfully, and she could feel bone cracking under her knuckles. It felt gratifying, almost as gratifying as watching him sail into the wall across the street, out cold."

"Y-you crazy bitch!" One of the officers cried out, eyes wide with shock. "You-you killed him! What the hell gives?"

"I broke his jaw." Erza said, with a furious, frightening calm, the calm of a sea about to erupt into the storm of the century. "You asked 'what gives'. I think you need some explaining."

"No-no," Another officer rambled, holding up his hands, "we're fine, really! It's all just a misunderstanding- look, we're uh, all friends here-"

"Really." Erza said, giving him a flat look of distilled disbelief, the kind that said 'I know you're lying, and you know I know you're lying, and you're only making it worse for yourself'. Looks could be quite eloquent.

"Yes, really!" Another one cried out desperately.

"Since you seem to need an explanation," Erza said, ignoring him, "I'll be happy to provide one. If I ever hear of you doing this again, you'll be visiting fourth for a very long time."

"Yes- we understand," Stuttered one of the officers, "we promise, we will-"

What he would do would forever be a mystery, as Erza surged forward, slamming a fist into his gut. He retched, gasping for air, and doubled over. Erza gave him no respite, and backhanded him- hard- and he tumbled into the hard rock of the street, after having spun twice through the air. The two remaining officers gave her a fearful look, and turned tail, running. They did not get far.  
Two brutal minutes later, four unconscious officers lay on the street, all of them with bruises that would last them months. Erza turned to the two fourth division members.

"I'm sorry to have to ask this of you, but they may require medical attention," she said, making an effort to sound friendly. "Can I rely on you?"

"S-sure," the girl murmured, getting some bandages out of her bag. "Yeah, count on us."

"That-that was..." The boy murmured.

"Just let me know if they trouble you again." Erza said reassuringly. "I am Erza Scarlet, and I may be eleventh division- but this is something I won't tolerate."

"S-sure," The boy said, nodding.

"Good," Erza said, nodding, and continued on with her patrol. This eleventh division was problematic- but by word or by fist, she would try and make it a better place to be.

She was doing... okay. Isane had been right.

Right now, she was swinging a wooden sword, going through a series of thrusts, slashes, parries, attacks; some very basic training to warm her up for the spars to come. Half an hour more of this, and she'd be ready. She already felt a nice, slight burn in her muscles. Deciding that it wasn't quite enough, she upped her pace a little.  
Almost lost in her training, it took her a while to register the talking. Standing around near her, and the dozen or so members training near her, were two men, talking casually. It was annoying, but the sergeant would have words with them- he wasn't keen on slackers during practice time. Still, she couldn't shut out their talking entirely.

"...I'm just sayin', this ain't all I expected." A rough-sounding voice said. "Join the Gotei, they said. Eleven's for you, they said. Full of badasses who don't take shit from nobody. An' here we are, surrounded by green little twats what barely know how to hold a sword."

"Your attitude isn't very beautiful." Another voice said, sounding much smoother. "Of course we'll stand above the unseated ones- we're stronger and better than that by far. You can't judge these people by the same standard you judge yourself- it simply isn't fair."

"I guess." The rough voice said. "You'd think they'd at least have the basics down to a science, though- look at 'em, hitting like beginners all over- they need practice, or a hollow'd just tear 'em a new asshole. Even their officers seem weak- look at that one over there, with the red hair."

Erza almost paused, but kept going.

"She's better than the newbies over here, but even she's not doin' it right- she hits too hard and fast to avoid a follow-up if she got parried, and I iknow/i I could knock her off her feet if she hit like that in a spar. And her posture's better, but it still needs work- too easy to unbalance. You need stability-"

"Excuse me!" Erza exclaimed, finally stopping. "If you have something to say, why don't you say it to my face instead?"

She turned to look at the two men, wiping sweat from her brow. One was bald, with strange markings at his eyes and a mean look in his face. The other looked elegant, handsome even, in a dandy-man sort of way.

"You seemed busy." Said the bald one, and she recognised him as the man with the rough voice. "No offense- it's just that your form could use some work."

"Really?" Erza said skeptically. She wasn't one to toot her own horn, but her skills being questioned like this, after all her experience... it was a bit irritating.  
"Why don't you show me how it's done?" She said, taking a step forward.

"Now yer talkin'." Ikkaku said, grinning. "Get me one of them practice swords, and I'm on."

Quickly, a wooden sword was produced from one of the training shinigami, and suddenly, Erza realized, there had formed a bit of a circle around them, people looking with anticipation. The new blood against herself, the 'blood princess'- she still hated that name- and who didn't love a good show?

"Well, a sword ain't my weapon of choice... but it'll do." Ikkaku said, giving the sword a few training swings."

"Are you going to talk or fight?" Erza said, already having taken a stance.

"Good, good, I like it!" Ikkaku said, launching himself forward. Viciously, he struck at her again and again, with ferocious power and speed. Erza was keeping up, just barely, blocking- but she was at the back foot, her mind a hundred percent focused on just keeping her guard up.  
"Right down to business! That's the attitude you need!" Ikkaku cried, slamming down on her one more time.

Erza held the strike, getting pushed back, almost down to one knee- but she held it.

"Not bad." Ikkaku said, grinning as he pushed her back, slowly. His body was well tuned, muscular, and he was brimming with spiritual energy.

"More talking?" Erza grunted, pushing back hard, breaking the stalemate and hopping back a step.

Ikkaku immediately lunged forward, slashing down from above, cutting at her once, twice, three times, and Erza barely kept up. Then, he struck down hard, Erza's sword went down, and in an instant he'd slammed the hilt of his wooden sword into her forehead. Before she knew it, the dull edge of the sword was at her neck.

"And now yer dead." Ikkaku said casually. "Not bad, though. For a greenhorn."

"Again." Erza said resolutely.

"I'm likin' you better already, greenhorn." Ikkaku said, with a vicious sort of cheer.

Not waiting another second, Erza charged forward, striking as fast as she could. She hit once, twice, then stabbed forward, against his head. Ikkaku casually parried the first two, dodged the third, and counterattacked. Erza moved her body to the side, Ikkaku's sword just barely grazing her chest. Quickly, not letting him take the initiative, Erza lunged forward, slamming down. Ikkaku just caught her blade, directed the force downwards, overbalancing her. Erza went into a roll; she wouldn't be knocked over like this-  
And then, with one quick swoop, Ikkaku's blade was at her neck, when she was halfway through getting to her feet.

"Dead." He said matter-of-factly. "More?"

"More!" Erza said, getting to her feet. This was obnoxious- who was he to just walk all over her? Turning to face him, she held her sword up, examining him carefully. He moved with confidence, and had the bearing of an experienced swordfighter; fast and strong. Just defending hadn't worked, and neither had attacking...  
Quick like a cat, Ikkaku moved forward, swiping at her from the side. Parrying, she caught the blade's edge on her own, and dodging down she let it slide over her, and for just a moment the momentum carried through, making him overextend. Quickly, she lunged forward, aiming for his neck; she'd get him this time, she was sure of it...

...and at the last damn moment, he bent himself back and to the side, the edge of her sword just scraping against his neck. Unbalanced, Ikkaku lashed out against her, and Erza was forced to block. Quickly, he recovered. He grinned again, before attacking again. Erza blocked, dodged, but he was faster and stronger- she barely got any attacks in. Still, she was dragging it out, not leaving her guard down for a long time- until finally, he found an opening, slapping the sword out of her hands with a quick strike at her arm.

"Dead." He said, pointing the sword at her chest. "You got the right spirit, though."

Erza grumbled, not sure what to say to that.

"You overextend a lot." He said, dropping his wooden sword. "Not by a lot, but it's like you're not that used to sword combat against another shinigami. Ain't that big a deal for a hollow hunter, I guess, but it's something to consider. Also, try not to lean so much on your right leg when you step forward. A good fighter can read your pose and adjust to it, and that makes countering really easy. There's balance, too- you hit hard and fast, but you ain't found the right balance. Somebody could read that too. And-"

"All right, all right." Yumichika said. "Leave the girl alone- I think you humiliated her enough already."

"It's fine." Erza said, wiping her brow. "It was... good practice."

"Another one?" Ikkaku said.

"No, not another one." Yumichika said strictly. "We got work to do, remember?"

"Damn patrols..." Ikkaku murmured. "All right, woman- if you ever feel like round four, come find me."

"It's Erza." Erza said. "Erza Scarlet."

He nodded. "Madarame Ikkaku."

Yumichika sighed. "You really don't hold anything back, do you?"

"Never do." He said, shrugging.

"You know... you're the first one so far not to talk about me being a woman." Erza said.

"I noticed you had tits and all, but I was more interested in your sword. Don't know about the idiots here, but I'm here to fight, not chase skirts. That's about all there is to it."

"Good." Erza said, smiling.

"Ikkaku, _now_." Yumichika said impatiently.

"All right, all right." Ikkaku grumbled. "See ya later, rookie." He gave her a wave, and turned around to leave, walking away to whatever duties that awaited him. Erza watched him leave, feeling both a little peeved and uplifted at the same time. Being beaten down wasn't fun- but Ikkaku seemed a decent sort. Once again, she started her sword excercises, swinging up and down. She, too, had duties.

* * *

In the following weeks, the two of them would spar often, with swords, without swords, butting heads as often as they could. Ikkaku was a rough, vicious kind of fighter, his experience earned from years and years of brute fighting in the rukon. He had little in the way of form in a particular style of swordfighting, favouring his own style, smooth and adapted for speed and using whatever opeings there were. She would lose most of the time- but every so often, she'd win a round, and slowly she adapted. It was quite a step up from academy training, and Ikkaku was a strong partner to learn from- she won rarely, but the training demanded much from her, spurring her to improve. Slowly, she grew stronger.

Today, however, they were not sparring. For the first time since ithat time/i, Erza was out on a mission- a real mission, far out in the Rukongai, hunting for a small pack of hollows that had terrorized a settlement of pluses for near three days. Ikkaku was leading the expedition, sitting at a title of thirteenth seat- although Erza suspected he was easily on par with a fifth, or better. With them were Yumichika, and three more shinigami- all of them seated officers, although ranked low. A sense of nervousness and anticipation was building in Erza's gut, a mixture of fear, resolve and a bit of zeal building up. Taking deep breaths, she was fighting back that feeling, forcing herself calm. She remembered them all still, every last frightened cry, every last horrified face...  
And this was the kind of work she would do for a living, so she damn well couldn't let herself be consumed by it.

"You all right?" Ikkaku asked, looking over his shoulder.

"I'm fine." Erza said in what she hoped was a neutral tone.

"...all right." He stopped, and turned around. "Listen up, you lot. We're looking at at least three, probably more. They got a dozen souls already, and we're putting an end to it. We do this together, and carefully. If anybody tries to be a hero, I'll kill you myself. Understood?"

There was a chorus of "Yes, sir!" from the assembled party, aside from Yumichika, who just yawned.

"Let's get started, then." He said. "This is ugly work, and I want to be back at the division by tomorrow, at least."

"Yeah." Ikkaku said, nodding. "They shouldn't be far now. I'm takin' point. Yumichika, you're covering my right. Scarlet, cover my right. Idemai, Jujin, Shendo, follow our lead. Let's go."

They walked forward, and to an observer their pace might have looked leisurely- but to Erza there was no mistaking the tenseness of the soldiers here, the readiness to draw blade at the slightest hint of danger. Ikkaku seemed relaxed, but every step was purposeful, and he scanned his surroundings continuously, looking for any odd movements.  
Erza herself tried to sense ahead of her. It was a talent not that common in eleventh, she had noticed- they seemed to focus all reiatsu control into being a better brute fighter, if they used any control at all. It was an effective enough, but very limited approach. She liked better knowing what was coming.  
She sensed nothing just yet, though. For five unbearable minutes, they continued forward, feeling nothing, hearing nothing other than a bird chirping here and there, and the trees around them making a rustle as it moved in the wind. But then, after what felt like an eternity, she felt it- not far ahead, one large source of malevolent energy, almost drowning out one, two, three, four more. All seemed calm at the moment, but she couldn't tell much more.

"Up ahead, northeast." She mumbled quietly. "A hundred meters or so."

"You sure?" Ikkaku said, looking in that direction. Erza nodded. "How many?"

"At least five."

"All right." He murmured. "Swords out. We move through the forest quietly. If we can, we take them by surprise."

They all did draw their swords, slowly and carefully, and moved through the trees crouched low, everyone's eyes tensely fixed on the target ahead of them. Slowly, gruellingly so, Erza began to get a view of their targets. It was hard to make out clearly through the vegetation, bushes and trees blocking her view, but slowly she could make the figures out. One large, gangly hollow with absurdly long limbs and bloodied claws, feasting on something- she couldn't quite see what. She had her suspicions, of course- and when the beast raised his head up to gobble a piece down, she saw a leg go down its throat. She felt nausea rising in her gut, and she fought it back, feeling the taste of bile at the back of her mouth. People, always people, defenseless people hunted like cattle...  
Around the huge hollow were four smaller ones, dancing around the big one, looking for overlooked morsels, cackling and bouncing around. The ground around them was covered in blood, and severed limbs and freshly eaten clean bones lay around. The nausea started to subside, and Erza felt something else in her chest, growing bigger, like she was about to burst.

"All right." Ikkaku whispered, when they were just fifteen or so meters away, hidden behind a thick bush. "On my go. Cover each other's asses, and go for the masks. Don't get distracted."

There were a few quiet affirmations, a "yes sir" here and a grunt or two there, but Erza remained quiet, grasping the hilt of her blade hard enough to whiten her knuckles. For a small eternity, they stood crouched there in silence, watching the monsters feast on the dead- there were so many bodies; they'd have had to have herded them together before they were killed, like sheep to the slaughter-  
and then Ikkaku sprinted forward, shouting loudly, spiritedly, his shikai activating as he leapt into the air.

"Grow, Hozukimaru!" He shouted. The blade changed, turning into some sort of spear, and he slammed into the huge hollow, the blade of his weapon cutting deep into one of the forelegs of his target, nearly cutting it clean off. The monster roared with pain, and immediately, the four lesser hollows began to move at Ikkaku. But the rest of them were not far behind, and with precision and grace, Yumichika leapt forward and cut into one of the hollow's masks from behind. It shattered, and the beast began to dissolve.

Ikkaku was locked in combat with the huge hollow, driving it back with furious strikes, but Erza wasn't even aware of it at that point. The feeling inside her had bubbled up, burst over, overrunning her like a river bursting out of a broken floodgate. It was rage, pure rage, red hot and guided with a purpose. Holding her sword firmly, her muscles remembering every ounce of training she ever had, she charged the closest hollow. A creature of instinct, it shrieked, turning to face her, but before it had even halfway faced her, Erza's sword had gone into its side, almost to the hilt. Gritting her teeth, almost growling, she lifted it into the air, the blade twisting and maiming inside the monster's body. It shrieked and cried, flailing wildly, but it only made it worse. Viciously, Erza brought her sword down, wrenching it from the monster's gut. Innards, blood and gall spilled on the ground, and the monster jerked desperately. Even in its death throes, it crawled toward her, reaching out with a claw to cut at her. A cold expression on her face, she slammed her foot down on its paw, crushing it completely. The monster shrieked, but its cries were weaker now. Blood on her face, Erza raised her blade, and brought it down hard, shattering its mask. It dissolved, and it felt to Erza like it deserved worse.

Quickly, she looked forward. Yumichika was dodging the attacks of a nimble hollow; two of her partners were locked in combat, and that left one, leaping at the back of her teammates. Well, not if she could help it. Slipping into a clumsy shunpo, she tackled it from the side, knocking it over mid-air. The beast slammed into the ground, bouncing, almost instantly getting back to its feet. But Erza wasn't letting it, wouldn't give it the chance. Just as it was almost on its feet, Erza's leg slammed into its side. The monster was perhaps four times her size, but it didn't matter. It went flying, knocked onto its back, and instantly she was on it. It clawed at her, no stranger to fighting at its back, but it was too slow, too weak. A quick, hard cut nearly split its left foreleg in half vertically, and it scremed with pain. Erza took a step back, letting it get back to its feet. One of its legs were useless now, fresh blood spraying over the forest floor. Screeching at her, it struck at her with its good leg, long, gory claws coming at her head.  
It was so ludicrously slow to her. She felt like she could run circles around it, like she had all the time in the world. It took, of course, less than a second- but even so, it was the simplest thing in the world to reach out with her sword, cutting its fingers off before the striked had even gone halfway through. The monster shrieked again, reeling back. It reached out into the air, trying to open a gateway back to where it had come from- but Erza was not about to let it. She grabbed it by the tail, and pulled hard. The monster struggled, but fell flat on its face. On its wounded arms, it struggled to get up, only to face Erza with her sword ready as it stood up. For a moment, it looked like it was about to try and fight- but before it could, Erza had cut it across the chest, deep and hard. It reeled, and Erza did not relent. She cut the one time, twice, thrice, four times, five, six, seven- she lost count, as she got bathed in its blood. Before she knew it, before she even noticed it, the monster lay at her feet, cut to pieces, its neck and head at her feet.

Forcing herself to calm, she began to breathe deep, long breaths. She was covered in blood, she noticed, and it was like she had viewed the world in a red haze. She took a closer look at what she'd done. The monster she had hit was cut in five pieces, but seemed still alive, its head still wiggling, pathetically trying to escape.

"Well, finish it." It was Ikkaku, and Erza turned to look at him abruptly, almost feeling shocked. Oh yes. She was out on a mission. With other people.

"Oh. Yes." She mumbled, thrusting her sword down hard, piercing the monster's mask. It cracked, slowly, and soon its bloodied body began to dissolve. Erza took another deep breath, and began to slowly wipe her zanpakutou clean.

"Two kills." Ikkaku nodded. "Good work, Scarlet." He looked around, at the glade and back to Erza. "Pretty messy, though. That was real brutal, and not that efficient. You look like shit."

"Sorry, senpai." She mumbled.

"Well, everyone's alive and mostly unhurt. I reckon all of that blood on you's from the hollows, eh?"

She nodded.

"Well, let's head back. Good work, you lot."

Turning around, they all began walking back towards the Gotei Thirteen, towards home. Erza felt weird, now that her rage was beginning to leave her- like her guts had been turned upside down, like her bones were made of jelly.

* * *

"And that's why I say we're bein' led by a slob!"

Two days later, back at the courtyard of eleventh division, excercises had been interrupted. Not everyone was happy with their current captain, and, Erza had been told, it was anybody's right to challenge him for leadership. Right now, it was the fourth seat- Kozuki Gisen, Erza thought she remembered his name was. He'd strolled in, called everyone to listen, and given them a long speech about the failings of their captain. How he didn't take leadership seriously enough, how all he could do was fight, how there was a difference between conquering and ruling... Erza had found it to get long-winded after a little while.

Of course, it was about to end quite soon. She could feel it, as could some of the senior officers, who were looking toward the division's barracks door just like her. A big clump of reiatsu, teeming indignantly; the signature of their captan, Kiganjo Kenpachi. The doors opened, and out he came, in all his bulk, marching out with a stern look on his face.

"What's going on here?" He demanded angrily. "Why're you lot not on yer posts?"

The division members looked at him with a mixture of gleeful eagerness and anxiety, and then back to Kozuki. Life could get a bit dull when all you did most of the time was practice, and a bit of drama was a welcome change of pace.

"You!" Kozuki cried. "You're done here, Kiganjo! You're not worth the title 'Kenpachi', and you're not worth the title 'captain', either!"

"Fuck's sake..." Kiganjo growled. "You got something to say? Say it!"

The crowd looked at Kozuki, and all that it would have taken to remind Erza of a schoolgirl drama was a collective "Ooooh!"

"You slack off." Kozuki sneered. "You sleep in, you let your seats do all your paperwork, you don't attend meetings, and you don't even manage how your men train. How can you call that leadership?"

"Good fuckin' grief." Kiganjo growled. "You think you could do a better job? You think leadin's easy work?"

"I could, yeah." Kozuki said defiantly.

"Then come and take it!" Kiganjo roared. "Come and take it all, if you got the stomach for it. Them's the rules, and that's a rule I'll respect!"

"All right." Kozuki sneered, and pulled out his sword. He looked tense, Erza thought, maybe a little afraid, but his resolve didn't waver. Kiganjo, though, didn't draw his.

"So?" He said. "You comin', or what?"

"Draw your sword!" Kozuki said.

"Don't need it."

Kozuki paused, looking indecisive. Then, readying himself, he cried,  
"Your funeral!"

He charged forward, sword raised, making to stab at Kiganjo, who towered over him, at least a head taller-  
and then, in an instant, Kiganjo had reached out lightning fast, grabbing Kozuki by the wrist, pulling his sword out of position and slamming an elbow in his face. Kozuki staggered back, barely holding on to his sword in the one hand. Ruthlessly, Kiganjo kicked him in the chest, knocking the rebellious fourth seat to the ground. Not wasting a moment, Kiganjo got on top of him, holding his sword arm firm with one hand, and slamming a fist into Kozuki's face with the other. He gave him a mean look, and waited, seeing if he wanted more. Kozuki lay still though, seeming like he'd had enough. Kiganjo got up to his feet, and brushed himself off.

"Finish it." Kozuki hissed, still on the ground. "Them's the rules, ain't it? The loser gets it."

Erza, and the whole division, watched with baited breath. It was true; the loser of a match for leadership had his life in the hands of the winner, and trying to usurp your captain could certainly be considered treason.

"Yer demoted to twelfth seat." Kiganjo growled. "And there you stay till you learn some god damn respect." He flexed his arm muscles a little, and relaxed. "And some far-out rukon hollow hunts would do you good too, I reckon."

It was a hard punishment, but not unfair, Erza thought.

"Well, what're you all looking at?" Kiganjo growled, staring at the crowd. "Get your asses back to work, or I'll personally redecorate your collective faces, is that clear?!"

There was a loud, uncoordinated chorus of "Sir, yes sir!", and quickly, the crowd dispersed, each man going back to his duties. The fun, it seemed, was over.

A little later, that same day, after Erza had finished the drills and eaten lunch, she was walking towards the division gates. A bit of patrolling in the Gotei was tedious, but not so straining, and it's what she had to do next on her daily schedule.  
As she headed to the gate, though, she was stopped by a tall man with a mustache. It was, she noticed after a bit of mental digging, the vice captain of division one, Sasakibe Choujirou.

"Excuse me." He said, politely. "Where can I find captain Kiganjo?"

"He'll be in his chambers."

"I am in a bit of a hurry." Sasakibe said. "Would you kindly give him this?" He held out a letter of sorts.

"Sure." Erza said quizzically. "What is it? Some sort of message?"

"A summons. Captain-General Yamamoto is calling for a captain's meeting. Attendance is mandatory. Please hand this to him at once."

"Can do." Erza mumbled.

"Very good. Well, good day for now." Giving a curteous bow, he turned around, walking away.

Well, she was in no particular hurry to patrol an already secure area. Erza headed back, to the captain's chambers, where he'd usually be at this time of day. Carefully, she knocked on the door. After a little while, there was a grunt that could be interpreted as "come in". Erza opened the door.

"What is it?" Kiganjo grumbled, sitting beside his bed.

"A summons, sir." She said, walking in, handing him the letter. He glared at her a while, before taking it.  
"He said it was urgent, sir." She added.

"Urgent, my rear..." Kiganjo grumbled. "All right, fuck- I'm goin'. Get outta here, do whatever yer supposed to do."

"Yes, sir."

Erza noticed a bottle of sake at his nightstand. It seemed like he'd mixed his nap with a bit of booze again.

Three hours later, when she came back from patrol, she took the route past his chambers. She almost felt ashamed to do so, to question him like so even in her head, but her doubts were validated- door half open, her captain was lying on his bed, snoring like a sawmill, the half-finished bottle of sake knocked over and spilling on the floor. She sighed. Out on the battlefield, he was remarkable, truly one of a kind- a leader who feared nothing, slayed hollows of the greatest kind and led his men to glory. Here, though, in the administrative environment of the Gotei, he appeared sometimes a bit... foolish, and it was no wonder, really, that people like Kozuki thought the way he thought.

* * *

Time passed by; Erza trained, she sparred with Ikkaku, she talked to Yumichika, she'd eat dinner with Isane every now and then, and life moved on. She was closing on half a year in division eleven now, and she was making progress- already, she had earned the rank of fourteenth seat.

Most commonly, for achievers like her, hollow hunts were the place to be. They were dangerous, required not only strength and intuition but teamwork, and only the top were selected for them. Now, on her seventh extermination mission, Erza was joined by Ikkaku- and a number of single digit seats alongside him. Huge hollows, she had been told, huge hollows a-roaming out here in the world of the living. Where, she didn't know, but it was a jungle not far from a city. They'd already reddened their blades, having purified four of the beasts already. Now, all that remained were one or two stragglers; most had escaped to the wretched world of Hueco Mundo...

"I don't like this." Ikkaku muttered.

"We got them on the run." Erza said, looking around cautiously as she advanced with the rest of her comrades. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Too easy." Ikkaku said, shaking his head. "The bigger they get, the more arrogant they are, and they don't run unless they know they're outmatched. That was a large pack, and they just... ran. Too quick. Something's up."

"If it's a trap, let's go ahead and spring it." Erza said spiritedly, shooting him a smile.

"You're crazy, Scarlet." Ikkaku said. Then, he grinned. "I like it."

"Hollow!" Somebody cried further up. "Huge class, running to our north!"

Immediately, Erza and the rest of her squad slipped into a shunpo, chasing the beast. It iwas/i  
strange, she had to admit- it was running from them, but the safest way to run would be to open a portal and get out. So what was it waiting for? Jumping from tree to tree, she followed behind the squad leader. It was strangely thrilling, this sort of chase. It reminded her of the fights of old, of fighting not for the sake of fighting, but still enjoying your ability to raise hell.

Ironically, that was when hell broke loose.

"Hollow! HOLLOW!" A shinigami cried, and Erza looked where he'd pointed. In the sky, a tear had opened, and from out of it, two hands came, two enormous hands. And behind it, an enormous, masked face. She felt a sinking feeling, as she and the squad stopped their advance. It took her a moment to place it, but she recognized the face- she had only seen it in textbooks, like a scary story told to young, ignorant students, but there it was.

"Menos Grande." Ikkaku said flatly. "Well, we're in deep shit now." He didn't sound excited, or afraid; his voice was drained of emotion. That in itself was unsettling.

The beast tore the portal open fully, and heaved itself into the world. It towered over them, like a titan of old, a giant to swallow them all whole. It raised its head, a red light forming at its mouth.

"Cero!" The squad leader cried. "Cero, damn it! Everyone, move out of the way! Scatter, inow/i!"

The red light filled up until it burst, sending out a bright red beam of energy. Erza jumped, flashing out of the way, but the shock of the blast caught her, sending her tumbling. Quickly she got on her feet again, jumping to a tree top. The monster was peering down at them, and on the ground, she could see two charred bodies, burnt black. This was the power of Menos Grande, the kind of force that made her seem like a joke...

And seeing the two dead on the ground, Erza looked around, panicked. The rest of her squad was alive, all facing the monster- but for how long? Images flashed in her head, of Sensuke, of Marisa, of Remon, of all the people she'd lost- iplease god not again please please please/i- and she was breathing rapidly, fear crawling up her spine.

"You ready to do this?" Ikkaku said, with an almost indifferent sort of calm. Something about him snapped her out of it, brought her back to the here and now. She was still scared, still feeling what she'd felt months ago at the massacre, but she wasn't in charge this time- and Ikkaku knew what he was doing, or at least was good at pretending he did.

Erza, not able to manage a reply, nodded.

"Good. 'Cos we may well die here- but we're together, no matter what. Nobody turns tail, nobody left behind. You got that? You're not alone."

"Yes." She mumbled.

"Formation!" The squad leader cried. "You two, circle round, cut at its legs! And you two, Madarame, Scarlet, with me!"

Swallowing down her fears, Erza made ready. Time to charge at death's jaws, time to go out there and die like a man- well, a woman- because, well...  
Fuck it. It was what it was; life was unfair, but you had to play the hand you were dealt. Taking a deep breath, she held up her sword, waiting only for the squad leader's cue.

But then, to all their relief, the Menos turned its head away from them, looking in another direction. She expected the squad leader to order the charge, but he too was looking away- and then she felt it too. The enormous, irate reiatsu, so familiar to her now. Kiganjo Kenpachi, the wonderful brute, was standing in the air above, a senkaimon closing behind him. Almost on face level with the menos, he appeared to be grinning.

"I thought a hunt would be some good sport- looks like I was just in time." He said, drawing his sword. "You lot, stay back."

Not needing to be asked twice, the squad retreated to a safer distance, watching the battle unfold. The Menos, so grand yet so slow, reached a hand out to crush Kiganjo. Kiganjo just let it come, and at the last second, cut down hard on it, two fingers severeing immediately. Viciously, he dashed forward up the monster's arm, pausing only to cut it off at the root. It shrieked, letting out a long, deep roar, one that nearly deafened Erza. Kiganjo didn't seem to mind, furiously hacking at the monster, cutting off piece by piece with his blade. Finally, seeming to have had enough sport, he spurred upward, burying his blade in its mask. The monster roared a final time, and the mask cracked. Feeling a surge of relief, Erza watched it dissipate. Her fears had not been made whole- they were alive. Well, most of them.

"Good job." Ikkaku murmured. "I thought we were dead for sure. Don't tell Yumichika I said that, though."

"Spar when we get back?" She said.

"You got it."

"Well, what're you lot waiting for?" Kiganjo roared heartily. "Hunt's over- back to the division, you lazy bastards!"

She'd never been so happy about verbal abuse.

* * *

A week or so later, Erza was once again back at the division, sparring hand to hand with Ikkaku. He was a dirty, quick fighter, but she was figuring him out, little by little.

"See, feint here, then I grab you by the ear, and yank your head down." Ikkaku explained. "It ain't got a fancy name, but it works real well if they don't see it coming."

"Where did you learn to fight like this?" Erza asked, sounding skeptical.

"Streets." Ikkaku said, shrugging. "You take any edge you can when you got nothing to lose."

"I see. And-"

There was a fuss at the gates, people gathering, and the two of them turned to look. A tall man had walked in, rugged-looking and scarred, with long, messy black hair and a giant sword slung over his shoulder, and what looked like a small girl riding his back. Ikkaku's face lit up.

"You know him?" Erza asked.

"The boss is back. I fuckin' knew it!" He said, sounding cheerful.

The rugged man walked closer, people gathering around as he walked.

"I'm Zaraki Kenpachi," He said, loud and clear, "and I'm here to toss out whoever's in charge here."

* * *

**Well, there you have it folks, Erza's time in squad 11. Now I know some people may not be to happy with how Ikkaku "beat" Erza, but hear me out. You are NEVER to skilled to learn more. Erza's good yes, among the best of the best in fact, but the fact of the mater is, Ikakku has one definite advantage over Erza.**

**Experience. He's been dead for a good while longer than she has. Not to mention, at the moment, he currently has more power than she does. Now, granted, that WILL change, but, for now, she is the weaker of the two.**

**Also, I figured it would be best to show a bit of what Kiganjo was like as a captain, we know next to nothing about him in cannon, so I figured this would be a good chance to be more...creative.**

**And yes, we finally introduce the big man himself, the one, the only, _KENPACHI MOTHERFUCKING ZARAKI!_**

**As you all know, In order to gain the title and rank of captain, Kiganjo has to go. That's how it was in cannon, and that's how it is here. However...How will Erza, react to not only these change in events, but also the law itself, being a member of fairy tail and all? **

**That, my faithful readers, will be revealed, in the next chapter.**

**Thanks for reading once again, and please, if you have anything you want to say, good or bad, leave a review, it would be very appreciated.**


	10. Loss, reunion, and power unleashed

**Written by Greatkingratt88. Once again, thank you.**

**F****airy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.**

**Please feel free to leave a review. I really, REALLY appreciate them**

* * *

The sun was shining bright and hot on the courtyard of the eleventh division, and it was brimming with people, filled completely- save for what was effectively a large arena in the middle, its borders drawn by the division members themselves. Erza was lucky enough to stand almost at the front, and she saw it all- her captain, standing tall and strong, facing this new stranger, a man who had the audacity to claim his title as his own name. He was very tall, and he looked tough, all right- lots of muscle, in a lean sort of way, and scars on his face and chest, wild hair hanging from his shoulders. He radiated power, too, she could sense- maybe even as much as her captain.

"What is this?" Erza mumbled to Ikkaku, who had bullied his way to the front, standing just in front of her. "Do you know him?"

"He's the reason I joined here." Ikkaku said excitably. "Back when I walked the Rukon, I thought I was real tough- till he put me down. I learned a lot that day- he didn't kill me, 'cos he doesn't care about killing, just fighting. I always knew he'd come here one day..."

"Why's he challenging the captain? He can't just... win and take the title, right?"

"He can, actually." Ikkaku said, nodding. He seemed spirited, so different from his usual laid-back, tough guy outlook. "It's an old rule, and most divisions don't use it- but one of the ways to become captain is to challenge the captain to a fight to the death. You win, you take the title."

"That's horrible!" Erza exclaimed. It was a revolting idea- leadership wasn't about strength of arm, never had been.

"It's a rule from an older time. But he has to follow it, there's no choice."

"But... he'll win, right?"

Ikkaku shook his head. "No way. Sorry about the captain, but this is the end of the line for him."

Erza opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, wanting very badly to voice some articulate, infuriated protest against this- but nothing sufficient came to mind. She wanted to shout at Ikkaku with rage, at the entire division and the law. But not a sound passed her lips, and gaping like a fish, she stood there, just watching. It didn't take her that long to recover, but it left her angry, and she balled her fists, grit her teeth.

Kiganjo, for his part, didn't seem terribly impressed. He stood before the newcomer, all bulk and muscle with his sword at his side, looking calm and ready. It was the face of a man about to put a pup down, show some punks who was boss; it was the face of a man without fear.

"You the boss here?" The newcomer- Zaraki- said, and the division members, who had been murmuring between themselves, quieted down. There was an ominous sense hovering over the courtyard; it was about to go down and down it would go very soon, and nobody wanted to miss a moment of it.

"I am." Kiganjo said lazily, cleaning his ear with a pinky. "What of it?"

"Yer the boss- an' if I kill you, that makes me the boss. 'Zat right?"

"If you can even put a scratch on me." Kiganjo said, blowing at his finger. "But yeah. That's the way it works- I'm the fuckin' Kenpachi, and if you can kill me, you own that title." He reached for his sword, pulled it out, and a determined frown formed on his face.  
"But if ya think I'll let ya have it, you're fuckin' insane, I'll yell ya that much. Give it your best shot- I'll hack you to little bits and send 'em all back to Zaraki, just so they know what happens with people who fuck with me."

"That's the spirit." Zaraki said, grinning a wide, predatory grin, showing off the kind of teeth that made Erza think of a shark.  
"Well, I ain't one for speeches..."

And with that, Kenpachi charged, laughing maniacally, his greatsword held in just the one hand. Not a man for speeches, indeed...

Kiganjo blocked the first hit, and headbutted Zaraki. The savage of a man reeled for the fraction of a second, and kept going, slashing like a madman, not hindered even by a little. Kiganjo blocked twice, thrice, and attempted to slam the hilt of his sword into Zaraki's gut-  
But in an instant, Kenpachi had cut him savagely, from shoulder to hip- no, from shoulder and far down into his chest, stopping just above his stomach. Kiganjo let out a shocked gargle, and sunk down to one knee, desperately clutching his sword. His sword arm had been cut; he could not lift it. Grinding his teeth, he grabbed at Zaraki's dirty kimono with his one working arm, looking at him with furious defiance, grunting with pain.

"Good spirit." Zaraki said, and took a step back, and cut him across the neck once. "Pity you're a shit fighter." Kiganjo let out the last noise he'd ever make, a small cough as his last breath left him, and fell to the side. A pool of blood formed around him, growing larger and larger.

Erza let out a long, hard gasp. She hadn't been close with the captain per se, she hadn't thought of him as a close friend, a precious person- but he had been her commander, and by and large he was a good man. He had been a good man. And now he was no more. She looked around her, desperate to see somebody else in the same state of shock as her; to know that she was not alone.  
And around her, everyone looked uncertain. Some looked as shocked as she, some nodded approvingly, grins on their faces, some just stood there with blank expressions, and the silence was complete. And for at least a full minute, everyone stared, all quiet, while Zaraki stood there, looking pleased as Kiganjo's corpse bled, dying the courtyard red.

Then, Ikkaku stepped up from out the ring, through Kiganjo's blood and stopped, right before the grinning, murderous newcomer. There was a rustle of whispers through the crowd, anxiousness, fear.

"I remember you." Zaraki said. "Didn't I give you a thrashing once?"

"Yeah, you did." Ikkaku said, nodding. "And now, you're my captain."

"Well, ain't I fancy as hell then." Zaraki said, chuckling.

"Everyone!" Ikkaku shouted, turning to face the crowd. "Kiganjo Kenpachi is dead! And in accordance with our rules- the toughest rules, for the toughest division!- this man here is now our captain! The Kenpachi's dead- long live the Kenpachi!"

"Live long!" A division member cheered, and one more, and one after another until it seemed like everyone around did. "Live long! Live long!"

Erza remained silent, though, looking down at the ground. That beast, standing there with his scars and his grin, was a killer- a murderer. He'd killed the captain in cold blood, on his knees- and he was being cheered for. This would never have stood in Fairy Tail- and though that was her past, her principles were not so changed that she could tolerate being subordinate to a killer.

There was a meeting almost immediately after, as soon as Kiganjo's bloody corpse had been cleaned away, all division members getting to know their new captain. Some looked afraid, hesitant, but all too many looked eager- or worst of all, indifferent. Erza did not come. She stood still, watching the bloody spot where Kiganjo had fallen, as everyone walked past it. She saw just one more soldier, standing there staring at it like herself. Ichinose, she recalled- a seventh seat.

"He... killed him." He mumbled, and Erza realized he wasn't talking to anybody, just voicing his despair to the universe.

"He did." Erza said, loud enough to make herself heard. She clenched her fists hard, her nails digging into her palms.

"He killed him," Ichinose said, a blank look in his eyes, "and nobody cares."

There wasn't much else to say to that. Erza slowly walked up to the pool of blood, already drying in the heat, and got down on one knee before it, putting a hand in it, as if to make her memory real, that Kiganjo had been real, had lived and led them.

"Rest in peace, captain," She mumbled. She was unsure if there was an afterlife after the afterlife- that seemed kind of silly- but paying her respects was the least she could do. "Rest in piece and sleep well. You did your best, and you saved many lives. Good bye."

Erza was not eloquent, not poetic, and that short tribute was all she could manage. Her palm red with her captain's blood, she stood up. She would not stay here. This was not home. She had _felt_ at home here; it had been like her old guild in some ways- a laid back approach to life, a rowdy, energetic tone... but this was not how home had been, and it could not be her home. No, home was long gone- and she had to stop acting like she could reconstruct it. She had to make her own home, somewhere where people weren't murdered for their position. Out of this division.

She quit the same day. Yumichika signed the papers, but nobody really seemed to care- the division launched into celebration for their new captain, and out she slipped, unnoticed. The only one who saw her walk out, carrying a bag of what few personal belonging she had, was Ikkaku. He gave her a short look, nodded at her, and walked back to the festivities- and that was that. He had been a friend to her, still was- but something new had happened between them; she had seen a new side to him, and she didn't like it.

And so it came to pass that Erza stood at the central division administration office, the hub of desk jobs in the Gotei, looking at different division papers. The request for a transfer had been approved without much fuss, probably because of the reputation eleventh had- but she was expected to choose a division before the end of the day, preferrably within the hour, and she hadn't a clue what she wanted to choose. She had already excluded divisions two, four and twelve- the first was a squad of spies and professional murderers, the second were supplies, logistics and medical aid, and the third were specialized towards scientific findings, and none of those things suited her. Division one wasn't open for application- recruitment only, as it was the senior division. That left divisions three, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, thirteen...

She could always choose at random, she supposed- although she rather wouldn't. She wanted action, and she wanted a commander she could trust- what was it she remembered about those captains? Kyoraku Shunsui was supposedly a lazy bum and a ladies' man, but was honest and fair. Ukitake Jushiro was a good man through and through, she had been taught, but his health was poor. And division five was headed by Aizen Sousuke, her old mentor...Division five didn't sound so bad, did it?

Erza reached for the papers for division five, and had almost grabbed it when she was interrupted.

"Sorry," came a woman's voice from behind, "but do you know where I can deliver these? My captain sent me with this paperwork, and I never come here-"

The voice went dead quiet as Erza turned around to face the newcomer, and she dropped the papers she'd been holding to the floor, her mouth wide open. Erza, for her part, felt no less shocked. Standing still for what felt like an eternity, she blinked, trying to reassure herself that she was not dreaming, that she was still awake.  
Before her stood Lisanna Strauss, long dead member of _Fairy Tail_, sister to Elfman and Mirajane, wearing the full garb of a shinigami. She looked a little older, and had a small scar on her cheek, but it was Lisanna.

"Oh my god," Lisanna mumbled. "You... oh my god, it's you."

Erza said nothing, and stepped forward, pulling Lisanna almost violently into a bear hug. She could feel tears almost forming in her eyes, as she held Lisanna to her chest. Lisanna had been a friend; not the closest of friends but a friend nonetheless, but at this point she'd have been overjoyed to see even the least friendly of guild members. She held her close, and only stopped when Lisanna made muffled noises, choking under Erza's grip. A little embarassed, she let her go.

"Wow," Lisanna mumbled, rubbing her ribs, "I think you almost broke something there. But..."

"Are you real?" Erza said, touching Lisanna's face with her hand, palming her cheek, her other hand touching Lisanna's shoulder, all to reassure herself that it wasn't a dream. "Are you really real? Really here?"

"Yes, I'm real!" Lisanna said, and giggled as she gently removed Erza's hands, taking them in her own. "I'm real. And... my goodness, so are you. What happened to you?"

"Big fight, sacrificed myself for the others, got sent to the afterlife." Erza said dismissively."But... wow, how are you here? How- all this time-"

"Well, I got sent on too," Lisanna said, in a gentle, happy tone. "And after half a year or so, I got recruited. I did good in the academy, and now... well, I'm fifth seat."

"Well done!" Erza said happily, still feeling overwhelmed, impossibly elated. "I was- I was-"

"So, how long have you been here?" Lisanna said, before Erza could begin stuttering incoherently. "You must have been here for years, if you went through the academy."

"Yes, years." Erza said, nodding. "I've been in active service for about... half a year now." She got a strange look, as something struck her. "Wait- how come you never saw me before? It's been a long time, and..."

"Well, the Gotei is a large place."

"Not _that_ large. And... well, I got very well known after my first mission."

"The massacre- that was you? The lone survivor?"

"Yes- well, not lone, there was one more..."

"Oh Erza, that's terrible!" Lisanna said, squeezing her hands emphatically. "I heard about it by rumour, although I didn't get any names."

"How?"

"Well, to be honest... I was chosen for a dedicated terminator group. I've been out on a hunting campaign for the last two years- I only got back last week." She smiled. "I was so proud- my vice captain chose me and six others to cleanse an infestation, no matter what. And we did it- and not one of us died."

"That... would explain it, I guess." Erza mumbled. "But still! I- I thought I was alone for so long. I lost the friends I made, and I just left eleventh division because of... well, that's a whole other mess. And now, you're here! It..." She choked up, not really knowing how to word her feelings.

"I know," Lisanna said, smiling knowingly. "I know."

There was a quiet for a little while; not an awkward silence, just the two of them looking at each other, two friends thrilled to be reunited.

"So..." Lisanna said, after a while, "you left eleventh division?"

"And I'm looking for a new one. Where are you?"

"Tenth division." Lisanna said proudly. "Our captain's a goof-off, but he's a good man who does what's needed when it counts."

"Let me just get the right papers, then. I'm joining there."

"All for me?"

"It's all I need. It's not like I was set on going anywhere in particular. Your captain's a good man, you said?"

"Yes." Lisanna nodded happily.

Before long, Erza had filed the papers, gotten a stamp of approval, and headed towards tenth division, arm in arm with Lisanna.

Shiba Isshin turned out to be everything his reputation had made him out to be. Lisanna led her directly to the office of the tenth division, where the captain was leaning back in a chair, a busty woman wearing a vice-captain's badge chiding him. She was bustier than Erza herself, she noted- good; maybe now she'd get less stares.

"...and I _told_ you, those papers were due the day before yesterday! And the mission reports are a whole week late! Your subordinates can be bothered to write them down- so why can't you be bothered to look them over and give them approval?"

"All right, all right..." The captain murmured, shrugging. "Get off my back, will ya? Oh, look!" He said, turning to Lisanna, seeming glad about the distraction. "My cute fifth seat is back, with a new recruit. Right? Please tell me she is!" He grinned.

"She is." Lisanna nodded. "She's an old friend- from when I was alive, even."

"Really now?" Isshin said, raising an eyebrow. "That's unusual- and I know of her, too. Erza Scarlet, is it?"

"Yes, sir," Erza mumbled.

"You did good work in eleventh as a hunter, I heard. Kiganjo told me- rest his soul, poor bastard- you did good."

"Thank you." Erza mumbled, not sure what to say.

"Well, let's get you started. What rank did you have?"

"sixteenth seat."

Isshin looked at her, from tip to toe, giving her a knowing look. "Sixteenth seat? That won't do- waste of potential, keeping you that low. How many hunts did you complete?"

Erza scratched her head, not quite remembering the exact number this moment. "At least forty, sir. Most of them successful."

"Well, no sixteenth seat should be able to do that, by herself or in charge of a squad. How's twelfth seat sounding?"

Erza nodded, feeling as happy as she felt surprised. "Yes, sir, that will do. Thank you!"

"Keep it up, and you'll keep moving up, simple as that," Isshin said contentedly.

"Captain," the vice-captain said, sighing irritatedly, "don't think this will get you out of work. You gave her a rank, and the papers are easily signed- now get back to doing your job."

"This is my vice-captain, the charming Matsumoto Rangiku." Isshin said, gesturing to his busty second-in-command. "She's very pretty, and-"

"Flattery's not working either." Matsumoto said indifferently. "Get. To. Work."

The captain sighed. "You know, Scarlet, you may regret climbing up the ladder. Being at the top is all work and no play..." With an overly dramatic gesture of despair, he sat himself down behind his desk, and signed Erza's papers. "Well, that should settle it- I'll let Strauss here find you a room, and you'll be sharing twelfth seat with two more people. You report for duty tomorrow- take today to get a feel for the division."

"Yes, sir." Erza said, not quite sure what to make of this man.

"Paperwork. Now." Matsumoto urged, smacking the captain over the head.

"All right! All right! You vicious, heartless harpy!" The words were harsh, but his tone was light, and Erza got the feeling this was a common routine for the two.

"I'll get you a room." Lisanna said, smiling. "The captain has lots of important things to do."

"Don't remind me," he groaned, staring down a pile of papers. "Well Scarlet, welcome to tenth- where you can't swing a sword without writing a report on it."

With that, Erza let Lisanna lead her out of there.

This was... strange. The captain appeared childish, less than responsible... but this wasn't the eleventh division, though, she reminded herself- just being strong wouldn't make you a leader. And appearances could be deceiving. And even so, a goofy, irresponsible leader would be an improvement over what she had left behind.

As they walked and talked, Erza learned that Lisanna had made quite a name for herself in her division- and by all appearances she was stronger and more accomplished by quite a measure than Erza herself; she had risen far in the ranks as an exterminator of hollows and leader of men. It was amazing to see how much she had grown since she had departed Fairy Tail- and a little bit strange to call her her senior. But senior she was, and Erza didn't mind it- she was more experienced, and had better control of her reiatsu. Sometimes, when life closed a door it opened window- and this time, Erza felt, a huge, shining gate had been opened. Eleventh had been a home to her for a while, a place where she had earned her position, but compared to standing next to an old friend... yes, in a way, the new Kenpachi's arrival had been a blessing in disguise.

The future, finally, looked a little brighter. With a new captain, and friends at her side, she had reason to move forward at last.

* * *

She found her place in tenth division, with a room of her own better furnished than anything she had had in eleventh, and in the following days, she slowly started to accept the deaths she had seen, the brutality and flaw of Gotei law- and one day, as she sat meditating by her sword, it happened.

Once again, she stood by the great mountain, surrounded on all sides by a storm of sand and dust, and once again she begun climbing. Nimbly, she avoided pitfalls, carefully choosing only the best rocks, twigs and roots to hang on to, keeping her balance perfectly. Hundreds and hundreds of times she had done this, and she had found an aptitude for it. Today felt different, though. After having climbed for two hours- or so it felt; she had no way of telling time here- she looked down, realizing that the ground below her was far, far down, further than she had ever seen before. She took a deep breath, feeling that breath-taking sensation of being so far, far up- and of having come so much further without even realizing it.  
And when she looked up, resolutely continuing her climb, she could see the dust storm lessening, a light shining through it. The air got clearer, and as Erza scaled a steep mountain wall, desperately digging her fingers into cracks and crevices, her feet struggling to find something to rest on, the light got clearer still. Finally heaving herself over the wall's edge, she stopped for a second to catch her breath, half lying down. It had been an exhausting climb...

But she allowed herself only a second, before forcing herself to her feet again. Her arms and hands ached with exertion, her feet and legs were sore, but she wouldn't stop now- not after having come this far. Standing tall, she looked forward, and saw a narrow path, made out of uneven, roughly cut stones lying flat in the ground, on a messy-looking field of half withered grass, leading towards that tree, that husk of a tree she had been climbing towards for so long.  
Almost sprinting- she would have run, had she not been so exhausted- Erza marched forward, gritting her teeth. She was almost there now, almost there, iI am coming I am coming I am coming nothing's stopping me now I am/i herei!i  
Walking straight and fast, Erza almost slammed into the tree's trunk face first. Stopping for a minute, breathing heavily as she closed her eyes, taking in the feeling of hard bark against her skin, she rested herself against the tree, pulling at it with her hands. After recovering, she stood up straight.

It was right there, before her eyes. A withered tree, unlike any she had ever seen, with only patches of bark on its naked trunk. It was a husk of a tree, frail and weak-looking, withered and dead.

"...where are you?" Erza said uncertainly. "Where _are_ you?!"

She had come so far. She had failed and got up again, failed and got up again over and over so many times now- and today, she had climbed all the way.

So _where was it?_ Where was her sword?

"Damn it!" She swore.

_So impatient, as always._

The voice echoed across all of reality, through her head, her body, the very fibers of her being.

"What?" She said confusedly. "Where are you? Show yourself!"

_And why should I do that?_

"I beat your challenge! I earned the right to know!"

_You know already, impetuous one. You need only call my name out_.

"I don't! If I did, I would have already!"

_With great patience, in the face of adversity, you conquered my challenge. Think to yourself: what does it take to be knocked down a thousand times, and get up a thousand and one?_

"A soul of steel." Erza said resolutely. "A soul of steel..."  
And realization hit her. She had known, all along, just as well as you know your toes, your fingers, your mind... only hidden in her unconscious.

"Come out," she cried, "Tetsu no Tama!"

The tree begun to crack, and Erza realized the light that had shone on her before came from there alone. Big lines ran up its trunk, pure light, and splinters begun flying in every direction. With a mighty thunderclap, the tree shattered, showering her with light. Erza put an arm over her eyes, shielding herself from the overwhelming force that was bathing the mountain in its light. Around her, the dust storm was blown away, and as Erza's eyes adjust, she saw the landscape change- the mountain grew bright, to a pleasant gray, with green plants and trees running down it, an inviting, neatly laid path going from its bottom to its top. But that was inconsequential compared to her excitement; she wanted to see what her blade looked like. With cheer and wonder in her mind, she looked through the light, and little by little, it became clear.  
What she saw was a figure in ornate, brass armor, magnificent pauldrons lying over its shoulders. It was covered in metal from tip to toe, standing a head taller than herself, and its face was hidden to her- not quite clear, light radiating from its very being to the point where details were hard to see.

"So that is you." She said, smiling.

"I am the piece of your soul that always was." The zanpakutou said, its voice bombastic and prideful. "I am your lust for battle, I am your desire to protect, I am your strength of arm and depth of wit. I am born of you- yet, I am not you. I am your power."

"And will you lend me your power?"

"Aye, so I will," the spirit said, nodding, "but not unconditionally. I will show no tolerance for cowardice, weakness or indecision- show me that, and I shall withdraw myself until you prove yourself worthy. But show me courage, show me bravery and strength, and I shall gladly lend you all that I am. And in your darkest hour of need, you shall find that my power grows to match what we face!"

"Good." Erza said, nodding. "I'll make sure not to behave cowardly."

"See that you do not." The spirit said haughtily. "But now, Erza Scarlet, you have achieved enough for one day. Remember me- speak to me as often as you can, that we may become one."

The world around her begun to crumble, and Erza realized she would soon wake up.

"I'll remember!" She said cheerily. "I'll remember that, no matter what!"

"Then until next time!" The spirit cried. And with that, the world around them collapsed.

* * *

"To your left! From below! Go, go go!"

Erza dodged the sweep of a hollow's claw just barely with a well-timed shunpo, heeding Lisanna's warning. The two of them were out, hunting two huge class hollows by themselves, and it was almost like old times... only the stakes now were not collecting jewels for a guild, and the monsters looked different.

Right now, far up in the sky above a thick forest, somewhere in the world- she wasn't sure where- Erza was facing a strong, vicious beast, surely over sixty feet long, tail and all, with a segmented, scaly serpent-like body, with three pairs of clawed legs moving with vicious precision. The monster just barely missed her as she slipped away, but instantly caught sight of her again as she reappeared a hundred or so feet back in the air, instantly charging at her, almost slithering through the air. It snapped at her with its huge, malodorous jaws, and Erza stepped back. Clawed arms cut at her, over and over, and Erza found herself driven back, only barely dodging and parrying its attacks in time. It was fast and furious, and very strong- old and experienced, most likely, and not nearly as arrogant as many of the hollows she had slain in the past. Though it wasn't penetrating her defense, she was being driven back- and, she knew, if this kept up then eventually she'd tire, slip up, and then all might be lost. The monster was bigger, stronger, and would definitely outlast her in a game of endurance.

"What are you waiting for?" Lisanna barked, she herself battling a cat-like monster with bladed appendages on its back. "Finish it off quickly and help me!"

"Working on it!" Erza shouted back. "I-"

She was interrupted, as the monster's tail lashed out, slamming into her side and sending her flying down towards the ground. As quickly as she could, she took control of her momentum, slowing her descent through the air. She stopped just short of the forest line. The monster was grinning at her, cackling slowly, spreading its six arms as if to invite her to come at it again.

Erza huffed. _Well, no time better to use it.._

Holding up her sword, fire in her eyes, she cried, "Strike, Tetsu no Tama!"

Her reiatsu surged, and she was filled with the most amazing feeling; a soul within her soul acting in tandem with her, releasing more power than she ever could have before. This was the first time she'd used it in real combat- but it was well tested, and she knew its strength.

Her sword had grown longer, and straightened completely, its guard changing to a simple cross, so like her old kind of sword, and electric power crackled around it. With a determined look in her eye, she leapt upwards, against the awaiting monster, with furious speed. It saw her coming, every step of the way- but even then, the fury of her assault surprised it, as she slammed into it, cutting at it with one furious strike after another. Using its arms, the beast blocked her strikes- but now, she was matching its speed, even surpassing it. Feinting, she struck forward, dodged under one of its claws, and struck into its softer belly, driving the sword in to the hilt. The monster screeched, but Erza wasn't quite done yet.

"_Dragon strike_!" She roared, and a torrent of electrical energy ravaged the monster's body. It screamed and spasmed, and Erza brutally twisted the sword. Finally, its arms came for her- but Erza's blade dissolved as she used a shunpo to move away. Two new blades, lighter and shorter, appeared in her hands, and quickly she attacked, mercilessly cutting at the monster with furious speed. It could not keep up, desperately trying to fend her off- but gash after gash appeared on its arms, until one by one, Erza severed them from its body until only two remained. The hollow roared with pain and anger, and raised its head to strike at her, like a snake. Erza looked at it with a gaze cold and steely, and her blades changed again, forming a big, bulky double-edged battleaxe. It was ornate, darkly gray, and it looked grim and cruel, and Erza raised it high as the hollow's head came down. With perfect precision, she cut down hard just as the monster's head came to bite her, and felt the heavy, hard impact as her weapon's edge crushed through its skull. The monster roared one last time, and instantly began dissolving into billions of tiny spiritual particles.

Quickly, Erza looked to Lisanna, readying herself to charge in- but it seemed needless. Lisanna was trashing her target, brutalizing it with a barrage of kido. It was bleeding, one of its arms ripped off, and Lisanna dashed forward, rapidly cutting it to pieces, stroke after stroke, until her blade found its mark and pierced the mask. The hollow shrieked, and disintegrated as well.

"Good work." Erza said, walking closer.

"No problem." Lisanna said nonchalantly. She was covered in blood, sprayed all over her shihakusho, her face, her hands, and she looked eerily calm as she wiped her sword clean and sheathed it. It had been a brutal fight, but she was perfectly calm, having moved with the confidence and ease of a veteran- she had changed, Erza thought, become a very different person in many regards. It reminded her... of herself.

_"You're a strong one, Scarlet," Ikkaku said, taking a swig from his sake. The two of them had sparred again, and the score was seventeen to ten- Erza was learning fast, and she had the endurance to keep going. All in all, it was good practice- Ikkaku was a vicious fighter, all experience._

_"Yer strong- how many extermination hunts you been to at this point?"_

_"Seventeen." Erza said. "Fourteen kills so far. I heard I might get promoted if I keep this up."_

_Ikkaku nodded. "Aye, no doubt on that. The captain rewards those who're strong of arm and put it to good use. No politics, no bullshit- just bein' strong gets you up."_

_"It's what I like best about this place." Erza said, leaning back against the wall._

_"That said..." Ikkaku said thoughtfully, taking another swig._

_"That said, what?"_

_"That said, you sure you don't like the hunts too much?"_

_Erza blinked. "What do you mean?"_

_"I done seen my share of new recruits in my day, and most do go on hunts with senior members. Part of what you do when you're green. Most don't go on seventeen hunts in less than two months, though. Four or five, with a couple of kills here and there. You really took to slaying, didn't you?"_

_"It's what I'm good at."_

_He nodded. "You sure are."_

_"I sense a 'but' there."_

_"But," He said, nodding, "you kill real vicious-like, and you're bloody reckless too. The officers like it, 'cos they see eagerness an' strength, but I wonder if that's really it."_

_"Are you criticizing me for being good at my job? We're shinigami- we exist to kill hollows."_

_Ikkaku gave her a look. "Never thought I'd be the one to complain about somebody bein' too violent... but strictly speakin', we shinigami exist to guide lost souls to the afterlife. Strictly speakin', the whole sword-fighting thing's a bit of an afterthought, something we do because we got no choice. Don't get me wrong, I love it to bits." He said, and paused, taking another swig. "But that's not why shinigami exist. And you," he said, pointing at her, "you ain't a thug like me. You're better. You're the kinda person who should remember this."_

_"I don't understand." Erza said confusedly. "I hunt. I kill. I do my best."_

_"You hunt, you purify." Ikkaku said, emphasizing the last word. "We deliver the souls of the dead, and the souls of hollows too. Personally, I don't care- I just love fighting, but it's an important thing to keep in mind. You- hollows took a lot from you. That'd make anybody angry. Angry enough to go on hunt after hunt, killin' them endlessly."_

_"So what?" Erza said, almost angrily. "Shouldn't we be angry? With what they are?"_

_"Maybe we should." Ikkaku said, shrugging. "Maybe we shouldn't. I can tell you this much, though- I seen angry men before, doing what you do. They make kickass fighters, but they all die early deaths. They kill more than anybody else, but live shorter- that's not you. You're a fuckin' paragon- you actually care about right and wrong, and that makes you different from most people here. And that's why I'm sayin' this- not because I care 'bout right or wrong, but because you do, because it's who you are. And if you're not careful, you could lose sight of who you are, and one day you wake up and you can't recognize the body you see inna mirror."_

_Erza frowned._

_Ikkaku took yet another swig. "Or maybe I'm just drunk and talking shit. But remember this next time you hunt- we don't do it for us. We do it 'cos if we don't, people will die- in the world of the living, or in the soul society. That's why."_

_"Whatever." Erza mumbled. It sounded like such nonsense- who was he to tell her what she should and shouldn't do, or think?_

_But somewhere, deep insider her, a chord had been struck._

* * *

The monsters they had slain were strong, far above Erza's measly twelfth seat's level of play. It was strange to think of a rank twelve as "measly"- but in truth, she had long surpassed, in terms of sheer fighting ability and raw power, anything but the higher-ranked single digits. She still sparred with Ikkaku at a mostly even level, and he had ended up being bumped up to third seat- she was reaching strength worthy of the elite, and she hadn't expected any less. Not because she had arrogantly expected to be the best of the best, but because power had always come easy for Erza, moreso than most of all people she knew in the Gotei.

And so, when her efforts and brutally efficient record was noticed and Isshin promoted her to ninth seat, she was glad, but not overwhelmed or surprised. Demonstrating shikai was no small feat in itself, and using it to the effect she did was apparently a job well done.

The Gotei was a difficult place, where most power rested with its upper crust, and Erza knew that if she wanted to make a difference for those who needed it most, she had to come as far up the ladder as possible. She had no choice but to keep advancing, keep growing stronger. The one area she was lacking in was experience, especially in administration; she knew all about destroying, but managing her subordinates, handing out orders, filling and filing the right forms, writing mission reports... that was a little alien to her. Which, she supposed, was why she was ninth seat and not much higher. Yet.

Once again, they were terminators, hunters of the wicked, fighting like angels of death to protect mankind. Put less poetically, they- Lisanna, Erza, and a squad of highly ranked officers of their division- had been dispatched, once more, to hunt a pack of hollows that had been terrorizing part of the living world. It was in a city, and Erza found herself fascinated with this world- it was nothing like Edolas; great buildings, impossibly tall, stretched towards the sky, and metal wagons raced across incredibly wide, black streets all by themselves- and with not a trace of magic to be sensed. Had steam engines come that far in this world? She made a note to investigate later, when there was time.

"Scarlet! No time for daydreaming!" Lisanna barked, and Erza snapped out of her pondering thoughts. Lisanna had become tough, and she took leadership seriously.

"Hollows materializing!" One of the squad members cried. "Half a mile from here, dead ahead!"

"Everybody stick together!" Lisanna cried. "Assume formations- I'm taking point! Scarlet, you take my back!"

As one, the group formed an arrow-like formation, with Lisanna at the front. The hollows were many- otherwise, they wouldn't have tried attacking; they were survivors, not warriors, and survivors did not take fights they believe they could not win.

"That's a lot," Erza commented, holding her blade out. "Think we got in over our heads?"

She didn't, but talking was as good a way as any to keep oneself calm.

"Just watch, Erza," Lisanna said, holding her blade at the ready. Raising it high, she cried, "Rend, Raijin!"

Lisanna's reiatsu surged, and the air crackled with thunderous electricity. A pair of three-bladed battle claws had replaced Lisanna's sword, one sitting firmly on each of her hands, blue lightning coursing between each blade. Not wasting another second, Lisanna charged forward, and Erza followed behind, as did the other squad members. She made ready to release her sword if necessary- but, it turned out, necessary was not what it was. As Lisanna charged with furious speed, a field of lightning expanded around her, and she sped far ahead of her teammates. The lightning struck the hollows, shocking and stunning the ones Lisanna didn't cut into herself- and she had no mercy on the ones that were in her path, her claws, rending and maiming anything they could get at, moving faster, almost, than the eye could follow. Quickly, Erza and her squad mates cut into the disorganized hollow pack, dispatching one after another with quick blows to their masks. It was almost too easy, Erza thought as she dodged a lame attempt at clawing her, and following it with a quick thrust into its mask- yes, this was easy.

And all because Lisanna had grown as much as she did.

Before long, all hollows- fourteen in total- were done for, none of the shinigami having taken so much as a flesh wound. Erza sheathed her sword, huffing. Hunts were for glory-hoggers, they said, but was this really glory?

"Good work, terminators." Lisanna said, her shikai dissipating. "Let's return to base and see where our next deployment is."

"One hunt down, and you're already looking for the next?" Erza said, smiling. "You sure turned industrious."

"Is that a problem, Scarlet?"

"No." Erza said, letting her smile turn to a grin. "I love it. But you've come a long way, haven't you? Weird, having to call you 'senpai'."

"I'm the same." Lisanna said, shrugging. "And at the same time, I'm different. We all change. When you think about it, we're all different people throughout our lives. And that's okay, that's good. You've got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people you used to be. Don't you think?"

"Sure." Erza nodded. Lisanna really _had_ come a long way- leadership had changed her, and Erza decided- cautiously- that it was for the better.

"Let's go, then." Lisanna said, opening the portal. "Back home, for new orders."

"Yes, back home." Erza said happily, and followed through. Home- well, she had found a home of sorts now, and it was good enough. Wherever friends were, you could make a home to be sure.

* * *

**Well, quite a lot happened in this chapter huh?**

**Erza leaving squad 11 might upset a few people, and I understand that, believe me I do, but fairytail has a strict, no killing belief. After seeing what Zaraki did and have NO consequence's for it, she just didn't feel comfort****able with the idea, so she left.**

**Lisanna was ALWAYS planed to be in this eventually, while im very glad she was brought back to life in cannon...Nothing was really DONE with her. I liked her character a lot and decided that it would be best, for this story atleast, that she ACTUALLY died, and became a soul reaper. As of now, she is stronger than Erza, and while you CAN expect that to change eventually, I plan on her playing a significant role in this for the Erza's shikai, Tetsu no Tama! For a long time, I had a hard time figuring out just what its ability's and name would be, but, in the end, im happy with the result.**

**Its power is simple really. The swords cutting power is increased by a large amount, and has the ability to change into any weapon she desires,T he only catch is that it has to be a MELEE weapon. So, no guns, and no arrows or anything long range. Spears, Katana's , Lances, Long swords, Broadswords, great swords and many more on the other hand, ARE all available to her.**

**Then there's the dragon strike. More or less, its a technique similar to the getsuga tenshou. However, as you'll see as you continue to read, there is more to this move than meets the eye. **

**Lisanna's zanpaktou were ORIGNALLY going to be lighting nun chucks, but I figured what we went with worked better, given her tiger soul she uses in cannon.**

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I sure know I did. Please, feel free to leave your thoughts in a review which I would greatly appreciate, , or even ask me some questions in a PM if you want. **


	11. New goals and Teaching?

**Written by Greatkingratt88. Once again, thank you.**

**F****airy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.**

**Not a long chapter, but I figured a short one is better than nothing. Thank you for reading, and if possible, please leave a review, I would gratly appericate it, as they help motivate me and my writer more than anything else.**

* * *

Life in the Gotei was serious, far moreso than the relaxed atmosphere of fairy tail. There were no brawls- well, at least not very many- people didn't drink recklessly, there was a strict schedule for on duty and off duty, and questioning authority was out of the question. It was a place of soldiers, not a large family, and Erza had had to change to adapt to it.

That was not to say, of course, that it was all work and no play. Today, she and Lisanna had no duty whatsoever, as any soldier was entitled to a day off every now and then. They would go walking the rukon, or have a drink or two with friends, or maybe she'd just read a good book- or train more, if she had nothing better to do. Today was special, though.

Today, Lisanna was taking her to the world of the living. Not to Fiore, but to the world of the living where she had come so many times- the world that was called "earth" by its inhabitants, or "tellus". They were going to a country called "Japan", in a town called Karakura, to do... well, not a whole lot, just relax, she supposed. It was interesting to her- she had gone to this world many times, but most- almost all- times it had been to more desolate, remote places, intercepting hollows before they closed on a human population. This would be her first look at civilization- or at least one of the many there were.

And so it was that Erza, after having exited a senkaimon with Lisanna and slowly descended through the air, found herself on the busy streets of Tokyo. The sun was shining brightly, the streets were filled with people, and the air was thick with fumes. All around them there were large, colourful signs flashing with different messages, surely powered by some sort of magic. The streets themselves were filled with an odd kind of steel carriages, seemingly powered by themselves, exuding smoke. It was a lot all at once, and it was... loud.

"Come on," Lisanna said, gesturing at her, "I'll show you someplace more peaceful."

After being led through the busy, bustling streets for twenty minutes or so, Lisanna finally found the place- a café of sorts, in a back street, with few people nearby. The two of them had a seat by a table, and Erza leaned back, relaxing.

"Won't people try and use this table?" She wondered out loud. "We are invisible to normal people, aren't we?"

Lisanna smiled. "We have an understanding with the owner. This city has a lot of spiritually rich people who can see us- including the owner. He knows he caters to "ghosts", and it doesn't matter so long as we have money." She giggled.

"Do we?" Erza said, sounding concerned. "Have money, I mean. I don't think I know what kind of money they use..."

"Don't worry, I thought about that." Lisanna said reassuringly. "It's not my first trip here. I'll worry about money. We'll make it my treat."

"All right- but I'll pay next time."

"Done!" Lisanna looked around, at the walls of the tall buildings. "So... what do you think about this place?"

Erza frowned, then smiled. "It's so... different. There are so many buildings, and... how did they make houses this tall? It's like every building I can see is taller than the tower of heaven. And these metal carts, these flashing lights... do they have magic too?"

Lisanna laughed. "No, barely anybody has in this world. People think of it as... a fantasy, I guess. Ghosts, magic, monsters, people don't really believe in it."

Erza looked surprised. "But how... how do they make all these things?"

Lisanna shrugged. "I don't really know. I heard they just use their understanding of the world- they have trains that move at hundreds of miles an hour, great big planes that fly at the speed of sound, devices that let them speak to people all over the world... they even have things out in space. And none of it is magic, as far as I know."

"And they don't believe we're real."

"Something like that." Lisanna mumbled, calling to a waiter. The two of them ordered, just simple tea and a few sweets, and Erza looked around her more, taking it all in. "And... they all live like this?"

"Some do, some don't. Some countries have very little, some have more than they need. Humanity came far in this world- everything is bigger here. They didn't have magic, so they took so 'science', and made it good enough, I guess."

"It is... amazing." Erza said. "And kind of weird."

"You'd be surprised how much like Fiore it all is. Some things change, but humans are all the same- people trying to get by, trying to find purpose, making families and friends together. Poor or rich, advanced or simple, some things stay the same."

"I hope so." Erza mumbled, digging into a small strawberry cake. "I see they make baking goods just as well."

"By the dozen," Lisanna laughed. "This country is full of things to see- I'll show you some of their shrines and temples later."

"And these people, with all these things... they all go to the soul society when they die." Erza mumbled thoughtfully.

"Unless they've been very bad, yes," Lisanna said dismissively, sipping her tea.

"Imagine living with all this plenty, all your life... and finding out that the afterlife is that much worse." Erza mumbled. "Doesn't seem right, does it?"

"I guess it doesn't. I didn't think about it much."

"Maybe you should." Erza said, and there was a slight sharpness in her tone. "You know what it is like, and I think most people wearing the shihakusho do. So... knowing all that, why don't people care more? Why do people ignore something like this?"

She didn't sound particularly aggressive, or agitated, but Erza knew that if she continued, she would be. The contrast was extreme- there was such wealth here, so much luxury that, seemingly, even the common man could afford- which only made it worse knowing what the Rukongai was like.

"You know what the chain of command is like." Lisanna said, almost indifferently. "We do as we're told- and the higher ups answer to higher higher-ups, who answer to even higher people, and those higher people are concerned with balance between the worlds."

"Couldn't we do so much more? The Gotei is strong- it is rich and powerful, and it could do so much with that."

"Tell that to the head captain, then," Lisanna shot back. "You know the idea behind we shinigami- 'we, of the Gotei Thirteen, exist to guide lost souls from one world to another, to protect them from those who would do them harm, to maintain balance and harmony, to serve with our lives the Gotei Thirteen in its glory'. Isn't that right?"

"I remember that quote. Every recruit learns that mission statement- why we train in the first place, and so on."

"So there's no reason to fuss. "We're here to protect and serve. There's nothing in there about having to make people's lives better- they can do that for themselves."

"Maybe there is a reason. Maybe that statement isn't enough."

"Not right now, Erza," Lisanna mumbled, "can't we just have fun on our day off? We bust our butts all day long to keep people safe- I think we earned that."

"...you're right." Erza said, nodding. "I just wish..."

"Yeah. I do too. But wishes don't really help much, and all _this_ does is make you feel worse. So relax, why don't you?" She sighed. "I know you want to make it better, and that's one of the things that makes you, you. It's one of the things any Fairy Tail member would want. But you don't have that power, and neither do I. So... let it go, for now."

"Sure." Erza smiled. "Let's go see those shrines, why don't we? Show me the world!"

Lisanna smiled again, and arm in arm, the two of them marched away to go sight-seeing.

They spent most of the day there, and Lisanna showed her many new, wondrous things- technology beyond any of her imagining, old temples and museums filled with ancient images. She saw weapons old and new- swords not unlike the one she wore, and more modern kinds that looked oddly boxy; "guns", they were called.  
But as it is with all things, it had to end eventually- and as they closed on evening, and Erza's head was full of things she had seen, felt, smelt, touched, eaten, the two of them headed back to the Soul Society. Let it not be said that she didn't know how to use a day off- even though this was Lisanna's doing...

* * *

-The next day, during her lunch break, she had her lunch with Isane. She was a nice person to know- meek, but reliable.

"How is the clinic? Not too much work, I hope," Erza said, digging into her simple bowl of noodles.

"Oh, it's fairly slow." Isane said, chewing down a dango ball. "Not too many operations out in dangerous areas at the moment, thank goodness, and that means fewer injuries. Fewer casualties."

"That's good." Erza said, nodding. She wasn't sure what to say next- she was good at violence, but small talk like this made her a little uncomfortable- how did people manage to drone on about trivial things so easily? Life was short- well, actually it wasn't, not here- but still... wasn't there better things to do with one's time? She liked Isane, she really did, and she didn't want to come across as... impolite, but she didn't quite know where to go next.

Luckily, rescue came to her before she had to settle for either an awkward silence of a forced, generic reply, in the forms of the busty, blond officer she knew as Matsumoto Rangiku.

"Oh, hello!" She said, and, quite at ease, took a seat at their table. Leaning back, she stretched her arms, and let out a relieved groan. "You wouldn't believe what a hassle it is, getting that lazy good-for-nothing-" Shiba-taichou, of course, "to do anything right. I'm starving!"

It was amazing, Erza thought, how some people took to this... game like a fish took to water. Just sitting down, and not even butting in on a conversation but naturally making yourself a part of it. She didn't for the life of her understand how people found that sort of casual smoothness, and she wasn't sure she wanted.

"So," Matsumoto said, as she dug in to her lunch- a regular sandwich- "how are things going with you, Isane? Are there any cute guys, coming into the hospitals all wounded but not too wounded, clamoring for the attention of a sexy, caring nurse?" She winked shamelessly.

Isane blushed very slightly. "We were just saying how there weren't many injured right now. Things are kind of quiet."

"Well, that's marvelous news!" Rangiku said cheerily. "That means you'd have to go man-hunting someplace more conventional, though."

"I'm uh, actually not that interested..." Isane mumbled.

Turning on a dime, Rangiku replied, "Well, who needs men anyway? Smelly, dirty, insensitive, and you have to kick their butts to get them to do anything right."

This woman just wasn't one for any kind of awkward, was she?

"I went to the world of the living yesterday," Erza said, deciding not to be talked over any further.

"Oh, were you? They have the cutest little handbags there- and soo many dresses. Thank goodness for humans- the Soul Society would be in a dreadful state without the fashion they have. These old things," she said, tugging at her own shihakusho, "they do all right and they can look spiffy if you keep them clean, but they're all so boring, don't you think?"

"I... never thought about it." Erza said honestly. "But now that you mention it, I suppose I wouldn't mind wearing something else if I had the choice."

"That's a good girl!" Rangiku said, nodding enthusiastically. "Say, why don't Lisanna and I take you shopping next time- we'll find you the best outfits. What do you like- dresses, blouses, skirts- or maybe you're more of a pants kind of person?"

"I was always more partial to steel chest plates," Erza said, and smirked as she saw a look of slight surprise in Rangiku's face.

"I can't say I heard about that before. Is it common, where you came from?"

"It's a personal preference." Erza said. "It's practical, it keeps you safe, and you can make it shine if you keep it clean."

Rangiku laughed. "She's something else, isn't she, Isane?"

"Yes." Isane concurred shyly. She was a bit less open, Erza noticed, when it wasn't just the two of them.

"I heard you're a go-getter," Rangiku said, taking a bite of her sandwich, "more hollow hunts than most in the entire division- and in a real short time, too. Are you looking to make a big career?"

Erza took a hesitant breath, and then said,  
"Actually, yes."

"Well, good for you- you're strong, dedicated, and you're still growing- I'm sure you can make it up to the upper single digits in no time."

"Actually, I intend to gain bankai and become a captain." Erza said resolutely. She had kept these thoughts to herself for the most part; they were big goals and talking about them would make her seem a braggart, she was sure- but she was interested to see how Rangiku would react.  
She was not disappointed. Rangiku choked on her food, and coughed, long and hard.

"Well!" She said, and cleared her throat again, "you dream big, don't you?"

"I can do it." Erza said simply. "I'm sure of it. I have to."

"Well, aim high, that's a good philosophy," Rangiku said, seeming a little taken aback. "You'd have to surpass both me and Isane on your way, you know that?"

"Yes." Erza said, in a simple enough tone that it didn't seem like empty boasting. "And once I'm there, I'll finally be able to really help people. That's the idea, at least."

"Oh, dear..." Rangiku said, and smiled. "You're a sweet person, Erza. I just hope you don't dream too much. Keep your feet on the ground at all times, that's my advice."

"I might fail. It's a big thing to try and do," Erza said, shrugging, "but I'll try. I remember the village I left behind in the rukongai- they were poor, weak and vulnerable, and god knows what might happen to them without me. How many more villages out there are there like them? People who will have to wait for two days if a hollow attacks, people with no protection from bandits, living at the mercy of thugs and the warlords who rule them?" She grabbed some noodles, and slurped down a mouthful. "I want to help them. I want to change this place for the better, because... well, somebody has to. And that means becoming powerful- strong of arm, and powerful in rank too."

"I know how the hierarchy works, sort of," Rangiku said, carefully taking another bite, "and I'm not so sure being a captain would really help you there. But by all means try- the worst you could do is fail, and they say it's better to have tried and failed than having done nothing at all."

"I like the sound of that." Erza said, smiling. She downed some more noodles, and paused for a while. "I might take you up on that shopping trip some time. Do they have any good armorer's down there?"

"Oh, dear..." Rangiku mumbled. Erza laughed.

"I'm joking- normal clothes will do."

* * *

Elsewhere, in his office overlooking the fifth division gardens, Aizen Sousuke felt the strands of Erza's reiatsu, sensing them like his hand might roam across a silk scarf, so raw and untempered- yet so much improved compared to when he first had seen it, a barely contained ball of energy, blazing away at its surroundings with neither restraint nor control. She was a curious case, he thought as he gazed out over the gardens- he had considered her as a possible pawn, but dismissed her- too chaotic to really be useful. Then he had expected her to amount to little more than raw data for one of his observations, where all her pitifully weak friends had died- but she had lived. She had shown... strength.

The Gotei, of course, was brimming with strong idiots. There was Zaraki Kenpachi, who was absurdly strong in a barbaric sort of way, and Aizen found him no more interesting than a bug or a molehill- he was part of the metaphorical scenery, not unlike a tree- a host of data to be found if you wanted it, but irrelevant compared to other pursuits more worthwhile. But Erza Scarlet was, just barely, not a tree- there was something to her beside just power, a sort of drive, an integrity of a kind that Aizen had found was generally very exploitable. Ideology was the single most useful tool a manipulator could ask for; using that, a virtuous man like Kaname Tosen had turned into his loyal servant, prepared to kill anyone and do anything in the name of his cause. But it was more than that.

Erza Scarlet, judging by his subtle observations, saw what he had once seen, what Kaname had been made to see: a corrupt society, ruling over the weak and poor with cruel indifference. She was far from enlightened, but she had seen past the veil. The "veil", as he liked to think of it- the structure of power, its implications plain to see for everyone, yet dismissed by almost all students once they graduated. The indoctrination process wasn't even that rigorous, but privilege and luxury too was a strong motivator. Many shinigami were from poor backgrounds, hundreds and hundreds of them, yet when they graduated... few seemed to care about others but themselves.  
That was the veil. Knowing that who you served was a tyrant, that your masters cared neither about the people they ruled over, nor about your own life, and yet they could convince themselves this was not only acceptable, but the way life should look, that there was no other way, that it was just the way things were...

But Erza Scarlet, it seemed, saw through it. Of course, he had seen it before- the veil, even when pierced, had a way of wearing down a body, until objections finally stopped, until the status quo was all they needed to be satisfied. It was a fascinating kind of mind control, one that he would have liked to have studied- if only he had the time.  
For now, Scarlet interested him in a small, bemused way, and he wondered if he could bring her to his side. She was strong, and he had seen weaker people grow into captain levels of strength before- if he could bring her to his side, make her see the light, his light, then she could be a valuable asset one day. She wanted another soul society, a better soul society, just like him- and how precious few were not people like that?

Maybe. Just maybe, she could make a useful addition. He would have to be cautious, of course- but when wasn't he? She trusted him already; he had a reasonable chance.

And that was how, the next day, Erza bumped into Aizen Sousuke in the street, seemingly- of course- by complete coincidence.

She had been out on a regular patrol on the streets, one of the more low-key duties, and one she was required to fill a quota of. In the words of her captain, you can't let some people hog all the action, or the rest would never get the experience they needed. And as she turned a corner, she bumped into a familiar figure, nearly knocking him over.

"Aizen-taichou!" She said agitatedly. "I'm terribly sorry- I should have watched where I was going."

"Please, there is no need to apologize." Aizen said, smiling gently. "To err is perfectly normal, is it not?"

Erza blinked. "Yeah... sure. Well, I'll not keep you any longer-"

"I'm in no particular hurry," Aizen said relaxedly, "and to tell you the truth, I am terribly bored with my office duties. Care to join me for a walk?"

"I have patrols." Erza mumbled.

"Excellent- I'm sure that together, we can fend off whatever fiendish plans these cobblestones can cook up." It was a joke, Erza realized, but delivered with a completely straight face, and those, she never quite was sure about.

"If you wish, sir."

"Sir", Erza? I think I know you well enough to be more familiar than that. Of course, I have been busy... I wish I had taken the time to at least visit you in the hospital."

"It's how you address a superior." Erza mumbled, as Aizen walked alongside her.

"You're not one for formalities, I think." Aizen said confidently. "And to tell you the truth, neither am I- but when you're in my position, you need to keep up appearances. Still, there's no need for "Sir"- you may call me "Aizen", or if you're capable of that kind of boldness, "Sosuke"."

"I see, si- Aizen." She said, frowning. "Is there a particular reason for this... walk?"

She was a little stiff, Aizen noticed, although she didn't seem averse to company.

"My office was killing me," Aizen lied casually, "people think we captains are some sort of... I don't know, sometimes it seems like people think we're some sort of legend, or gods, but really, we're just people like you- people who sometimes get really bored with paperwork. Mark my words, if you become captain one day, you'll find reason to regret it in places you never expected." He smiled.

Erza chuckled. "I don't expect that I will come so far, s- Aizen."

"False modesty doesn't become you, Erza Scarlet." Aizen said, looking at her studiously. She was lying- a simple, casual, socially acceptable lie, to make herself seem more humble. Typical. He seemed to have established trust, though. "I rarely see potential in up-and-coming shinigami like what I see in you. At a minimum, I expect you'll one day make a fine vice-captain."

"You believe that?"

"I believe you'll go further than that- much further. But I like to err on the side of caution. The question is, what will you do when you get there? There is a grand life to be had for the rich and powerful."

"I don't want a grand life," Erza said, shaking her head, "I never wanted that. All I need is a home, and friends and family to share it with. Maybe some people would think that's simple, or cheesy, but that's all I want for myself. Money helps, it makes things flow smoothly, but... it's less important."

"I don't think that's simple, or foolish." Aizen said reassuringly. "In all my time, I find that the best leaders are those who value home more than gold. There is a humility to it. Some aim for the top, willing to sacrifice anything to get there... but I like better those who realize the weight you must carry once you stand there."

"Captain?" Erza said quizzically.

Aizen chuckled in a friendly way. "My apologies- I drifted into poetic territory. What I meant to say is that simpler goals- goals like yours- are better equipped to realize what responsibility means. But," he said, allowing himself the smallest hint of passion in his voice, "if you want no money or luxury when you get there, if you have no ambition for political power, what would you use it for? A captain's seat is considerably powerful, whether you forsake the glamour it can bring or not."

"If," Erza said hesitantly, taking a quick breath, "if I got there, I'd try and make a difference. Not just slaying hollows, preserving the peace, but... I'd want to try and make the afterlife a better place. There is a village that I called home when I first got here, a good ways out in the rukongai, and it's a weak, pitiful place, at the mercy of warlords and bandits. It has good people, hardworking people who deserve better than that, and... I want to build strong walls around it. I want them to have soldiers of their own to protect them. I want them to have rich fields to plow, and all the water they'll ever need." She stopped walking, and looked him in the eye.

"But it's just the one village," Aizen said, "and there are tens and thousands- probably millions- like it in the soul society. I am not criticizing you, but some people would say it's selfish to help only the people who are close to you. They might say it is... inconsistent."

"If it stands between helping one village and helping no villages at all, the choice is obvious." There was steel in her voice, he noticed- she wasn't cold, or offended as far as he could tell, but she knew what her opinions were.

"A valid point," Aizen said calmly, "but would you stop there?"

"No." Erza shook her head slightly. "No, I wouldn't. I'd do the same for the next village, and the one after that, until I couldn't anymore."

"All in your spare time- of which we have little," Aizen interjected quietly, "and what happens when the ruler of the district decides they are too rich, or too powerful, and purges them and takes all their possessions?"

"If that happened, I'd take him down and bring him to justice. I'd bring him before the courts."

Aizen shook his head. "You are so fierce, and so strangely virtuous- but this world, I have seen, is not virtuous. Many a warlord has the official approval of the Gotei- few of them would be convicted. You, however, might be fined for your vigilantism."

"I'd find a way."

"And what if the only way was to cut off the weed at its root?"

"You mean kill him."

"We have done worse historically. Read some of it- it is an enlightening, if not very uplifting read."

"If I had to," Erza said hesitantly, "if it meant saving everyone else, I might. I don't know for sure, not until I was actually there in that moment- but that's what I think I'd do."

Bingo.

"And then what? A leader, however vile, usually keeps a structure in place. If he dies... chaos ensues. Killing a tyrant might lead to more suffering than before."

"I'd set somebody else up to rule in his stead. Somebody just. And I'd check in as often as I could, to make sure he wasn't corrupt."

Aizen nodded. "And now you little makeshift kingdom begins to make sense. But it's one little area of an afterlife- a supercontinent bigger than any world of the living."

"Well..." Erza looked thoughtful. "Is it even possible for one person to make that big a difference for such a big world? I mean, what are you trying to say- sir?" She frowned.

Aizen smiled. "Oh, just idle musings. You remind me of myself when I was younger- burning with a wish to do good, to help people."

"And what happened to that younger you?"

"He's still there, but he isn't burning anymore. One does one's best, but... well, you start to realize your limitations after a while." He shrugged, intentionally putting on an air of defeat. "Well, I shan't bother you any further- but I would ask one thing."

"Anything for my old teacher." Erza said, smiling back at him.

"If you _could_ change the entire world, if you had a chance to make it better for everyone in it- would you take that chance?"

"I would." Erza said determinedly. "This... no disrespect to the Gotei itself, but we're not doing enough."

"I agree." Aizen said, nodding and smiling. "Well, have a good day- I have paperwork to take care of, a dreadful lot of it. When you make captain, I'm sure you'll learn to fear the dreaded mission report more than the mission itself."

"I'm sure I will!" Erza laughed, and mockingly snapped a salute, before moving on with her patrol.

Aizen watched her walk away. She was beautiful, in a way- not for her figure or her face, but for her fire- and her simplemindedness, which would make her either very useful, or very troublesome. Either way, she would be a little interesting to watch.

* * *

A few weeks passed as usual; patrols, hunts and soul burials, guard shifts, mission reports, the dull routine of duty interrupted only by week-ends, which Erza would usually spend with friends- or training. According to Rangiku, that made her a bore- but success didn't come to the lazy, or the mediocre; it wouldn't come at all unless you put the effort in. Her form improved, both through training with Ikkaku, and running simple excercises over and over, a thousand and one times. She would work herself sweaty, till her muscles burned and she'd drop into a deep sleep, barely having the energy to get up the next morning.  
But even with her improvement, it was a surprise when one day, she was contacted by an academy tutor. It was a day as any other, a week day dedicated to regular training at the division grounds, and she was only just getting warmed up, having swung no more than a hundred swings, when she could feel a presence at the gateway of the training grounds. There was a polite cough, and she turned around to look, wiping some sweat from her brow.

"Yes?" She said brusquely; she wasn't too keen on being interrupted when she had only just gotten into her flow. The man in question was tall, thin bespectacled, and with a receding hairline.

"You are Erza Scarlet, seventh seat of tenth division?"

"That is I, yes," Erza said, putting her wooden training sword to the ground, "and who are you? I'm on duty."

"I represent the academy from which you once graduated, miss Scarlet," the man said, and she noticed a folder tucked in under one of his arms, "and I am told you are, for your level of strength, very fit with a blade."

"I'm sorry- I didn't catch your name."

"Sajima Akide." The man gave a slight bow. "I am a retainer at the academy. And on duty you may be, but so am I- I was sent to find somebody strong of arm and skilled with a blade, and your captain recommended, among five others, yourself. Having reviewed the candidates, I thought of you as the most suitable. I needed to meet you, of course.

Erza frowned. "Suitable? Candidates? What for?"

Akide sighed, and waved dismissively. "Ah, yes, I didn't mention- there was an accident with our kendo teacher, one Shimura Shinpachi. We need a replacement, and quickly."

"Accident? Is he all right?"

"Nothing too serious- both legs broken, and an infection on top of that. Nothing that fourth division cannot cure, but I am told his predicament will take time to heal. A few months, at the least." He looked at her studiously. "Strong of arm, yes- and in good shape, too. Female, but I suppose you can't have everything."

"I'm still here, you know," Erza growled, "and I didn't say I accepted, either."

"There would be an increase in pay," Akide said dismissively, "and I could always put in a request with your captain. We need a teacher- the students need somebody strong and experienced. Will you shirk away from such responsibility?"

"Can I... at least think about it?"

"You start next monday. That, I reckon, will give you plenty of time to think." Akide said, with that same annoying dismissiveness, and gave her a curt bow. "Take this," he said, handing her the folder, "it contains the whole of your employment contract."

"For how long?"

"Until Shimura recovers, I should think. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have several more errands to run..."

And with that, Akide simply walked out, leaving a confused, and apparently magisterial Erza.

* * *

**Erza as a teacher? That's a scary thought. However, I found it completely necessary for where I wanted, no, NEEDED this story to go. Besides, she DID teach Natsu how to read and write...well, better than Igneel did anyways. But that was a whole different subject and scenario. How will she handle this?**

**Also, we decided to compare the world of the living to the soul society...Its fairly clear which one is better, and it ALWAYS bugged me that the cannon story line NEVER brought it up. I mean, the Rukon is at BEST, a 3rd world country. **

**I didn't think Erza would like that, especially after seeing how much BETTER the living world was. So, another goal has been established. Become captain and change the soul society for the better. ****Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please, feel free to leave a review and ask any questions that you want to, Ill try to answer them as best as I can. **


	12. Great Teacher Erza

**Written by Greatkingratt88. Once again, thank you.**

**F****airy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.**

**I do believe that this is our first chapter to reach 10,00 words. I have to say, I'm quite pleased at this little fact. Also, this chapter marks the introduction of two cannon characters who will be playing large roles in this story. Who are they? And is Erza cut out for this teaching job at all? **

**Well, you'll have to read to find out!**

* * *

Two weeks later, a very hesitant, confused Erza stood back at the entrance of the academy. Once, she had been a student here, feeling anxious, eager, like a child... it had not been a decade, but it felt like a hundred years ago now. So many things she had learned since, so far she had come, so much pain she had felt... and here she was, now expected to pass on knowledge to young, impressionable souls, whose ignorant minds were just waiting to be filled with knowledge.  
The notion intimidated her a little. She hadn't ever been a people person- she was a sword person, and the problems she was used to solve were the kind where you could apply gratuitous violence until it went away, and if that failed, all you needed was to apply more violence. Somehow, she reasoned that this was probably not an option when it came to students.

She took a deep breath, and took that first step, resolutely marching into the academy to report to the headmaster, before leading her first class. She was Erza Scarlet, and Erza Scarlet did _not_ let herself be intimidated by a group of children. Leadership, she knew, was half competence and half just acting like you knew what you were doing- and she knew she could manage at least the latter.  
After reporting to the principal- the same old man he had been those years ago- and getting some basic information about her classes, her new schedule, she headed down to the classroom. It was fairly simple- today, just give them a lecture on what it means to hold a sword, demonstrate some basic moves, and save the proper teaching for tomorrow. She had been relieved to know that once they had got started, all she had to do was oversee their training, offer some direction- she wasn't expected to do much lecturing. It couldn't be that hard, could it? A class full of children, who had to do whatever she said- well, she knew how to command respect. Maybe it was that easy?

At long last- and much too quickly- Erza was at the door of her old classroom, where once she had been instructed by Shimura-sensei on how to use a sword, now as an authority. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the room. Thirty-odd pairs of eyes turned towards her, and she looked at her new students- younger, older, girls and boys, each one looking right at her. The boys especially looked impressed- for obvious reasons. Cleavage or not, men had a way of noticing one thing before all else...  
_All right. Focus. Act like you know what you are doing. You are in charge._ She thought, and walked up, standing before the class, folding her arms and putting on a stern look.

"Class One A, I will be your teacher for the foreseeable future," she began. "and I will do my best to pass on the skills you need to advance. You are ignorant now- weak little ducklings. Each one of you would be hollow feed within seconds of meeting one. I am going to change that. Make no mistake- you are not here on a camping trip, or on the road to a comfortable job within the walls. Each one of you will face life and death situations many times to come. Some of you will die."

There was a hard look in her eye, and for a moment, she thought she saw them down in the class- Sensuke, Marisa, Remon, her old friends, and she felt emotion swelling in her chest- but she controlled herself.

"Some of you will not make it," she said, and she noticed an uneasy look in the eyes of the students, "something my sensei was not keen to say much of when I was taught- but you will get no lies from me. I will give you pain and I will give you honesty, and you will listen to everything I have to say. In return, you will gain the skills to live on. Is that understood?"

There were more uneasy looks throughout the class, students looking at each other with uncertainty, murmuring quietly.

"I said," she raised her voice, almost but not quite shouting, _"is that understood, students?!"_

"Yes, sensei!" her new students cried back, in an imperfect, nervous chorus, but each one with gusto. _Act like you knew what you were doing_.

"Good." She said, nodding. "Does anybody here know anything about holding a sword?"

A few people raised their hands, and Erza turned to the closest one, a boy with hair as bright red as her own.

"What is your name?"

"Abari Renji, sensei!" He said spiritedly.

"And what is your experience with a sword?"

"I..." He said awkwardly.

"Spit it out." Erza said sternly.

"Back in the rukon, I sometimes had to use a knife to defend myself. And uh, sometimes a wood branch that I cut to look like one. It was useful against... people. Sometimes." He mumbled awkwardly. There were some sniggers in the back of the class, but Erza decided to ignore them.

"Step up, and grab a training sword." She said, and took one of her own from the wall.

"S-sensei?" He said, sounding scared.

"Take one and try to hit me. That is an order."

"But-"

"I will not ask twice." Erza said, holding up her own. "Hit me."

Looking terrified, Renji slowly went and grabbed a sword from the wall, and stood face to face with Erza, in front of the whole class.

"Do you know how to take a stance?" She asked, standing with the training sword held out in front of her, in perfect form. She was not usually one for form; her own style was more directed at whatever suited the situation best, but this was a classroom.

"S-sure," Renji mumbled, and clumsily imitated her own stance.

"Then go." Erza said mercilessly.

Letting out a cry, ranging between nervous and spirited, Renji sprinted forward, bringing his sword down- much too hard, and with no real balance. Erza easily caught his sword, directed it to her side, and slammed the hilt of her own sword into his chest. Renji let out a hollow cough, and sunk to his knees.

"On your feet." She said coldly. This was cruel, but life was cruel- they might as well learn that.

"Y-yes, sensei," Renji said, coughing again. Standing up again, his feet wobbly, he took a more cautious stance, before charging again, feinting a swipe to the side, before stabbing forward. Erza simply side-stepped the stab, caught his wrist, and pressed the point of her sword against his neck.

"And now, you're dead," she said, letting go of his wrist, and pressing the tip of the sword against his neck. Renji wobbled, then fell over, letting out a surprised cry. There were sniggers again, from the back of the classroom, and Erza frowned.

"Pitiful." She said, putting down the sword and putting her arms behind her back. "Each one of you is pitiful and weak. Right now, you are nothing- if you thought you knew anything before, forget it. But when I am done with you, each one of you will have learned how you defend yourselves, and others, how to face another swordsman, or a hollow." She looked sharply towards the back of the classroom. "And for those of you who found this funny- Abarai probably knows more than you do. This is not a game. This is where you learn a skill that may well save your life one day. Is that clear?" She said strictly.

"Yes, sensei!" The class said, almost as one this time.

"Go back to your place, Abarai," Erza said. "Now, what is a sword? Can anybody tell me what is means to hold a sword?"

One student, a lanky young boy with stripy, brown hair, raised his hand.

"Speak up," Erza said, nodding.

"Excuse me, sensei," he said, and by his accent, Erza placed him as a noble- upper class. "but when are we going to, you know, learn about sword fighting? You've been talking all about how dangerous it is, and how important it is, so why aren't we learning it already? I didn't come here to listen to speeches- I got enough of that at home. I want a sword already."

There was a look of steel in Erza's eyes. "You want your sword, do you?" She said, walking down towards the boy.

"Yes," he said, sounding unaware of her shift in tone, her change of mood, "that's why we're here. Are we just going to talk all day? I want to know what your teaching credentials are."

Erza stood in front of him, and looking somewhat nervous, he continued, "frankly, I don't think-"

Faster than his eye could follow, Erza slammed a fist into his gut. He doubled over, coughing, and Erza punched him in the head, and he sunk to his knees.

"God damn it! Holy hell, that hurt... my father will hear of this!" He wheezed, breathing heavily.

"I am sure he will." Erza said, in her steeliest voice, "and when you tell him, let him know I have no time for punks who question me, and interrupt my lessons." She looked at the whole class, all eyes on her, looking terrified. "This goes for all of you. I don't _want_ to have to beat you down, but if you give me lip, I'll give you what for. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sensei!" The class shouted, now in total chorus.

"Good." Erza nodded, and walked back to the front of the class. "Now, what does it mean to hold a sword? Anybody?"

* * *

Her first class was not so difficult after all. After that stern lecture, and a speech about the importance of holding a blade, that it meant the power to destroy or protect, and all those essential things- what an unusual thing it was, to teach somebody ethics- she had settled for demonstrating some basics, and before she knew it, an hour had passed. Her first class cleared, Erza felt relieved- maybe teaching wasn't so bad. She still felt the same after the second class. And the third.  
...but after a total of six classes, Erza felt exhausted, all but completely drained emotionally. Controlling children- well, strictly, a fair few were adults, but they might as well be kids, as far as she was concerned- was difficult enough, and constantly wondering whether she was doing it right, teaching them what they needed to know, or just ruining what should be a decent education, was flat out destructive. She kept her head high, her tone stern, and her hand firm, but inwardly she wondered how long it would be before she collapsed. Once the day was over, she walked home towards the division, and fell asleep the moment she hit the bed.

And before she knew it, it was morning, and her alarm clock let off a loud beep. It just wasn't fair- nights should, Erza felt, last at least _twice_ as long. After a quick shower, and a hasty breakfast, Erza headed out to school, back to the uncertainty, back to the feeling of just barely being in control, even though it felt like a complete illusion.  
Like this it went on, for three more days, and Erza pondered if she couldn't just appeal to her captain to get out of this. Then again, he might not listen... well, she could always stage an incident. A broken arm sounded like a fair trade at this point.

But then, one evening as she headed back to her room, as if by chance, she came upon Aizen Sousuke, walking towards his division. She gave him a tired wave, and kept walking.

"Not even a 'good evening', miss Scarlet?" He said bemusedly. "Have we become cold to each other without me noticing it?"

"Oh, no, not at all," Erza mumbled, rubbing her eyes. Her eyelids already felt heavy, and her arms and legs felt like they were made of lead. "It's just that, ah, I started teaching swordplay at the academy, and... it um, it's pretty hectic." She yawned. "I'm sure you've places to be, Captain Aizen."

"You know," Aizen said, smiling, "I felt the exact same when I started teaching."

She blinked. "Pardon, Captain?"

"I can see it on you- tired, stressed, and more than a little afraid- of failing your students, and of failing yourself. I wasn't aware they had made you a teacher- did they at least give you a course in how to teach?"

"Uh, no," Erza said, shaking her head, "no, it was more of a last minute sort of deal. Their old teacher is in the hospital, and they needed a replacement."

"So they grabbed the first high-performing officer who wasn't important enough that she couldn't be torn from her duties," Aizen said, and she noticed a slight disapproval in his tone. "It's such incompetence- they should have had the foresight to prepare a replacement, or at the very least teach you the basics of teaching."

"Sir?" She said quizzically. It was unlike him, she thought, to take offense like so.

"Oh, it's nothing," Aizen said nonchalantly, "but I do think it an unfair situation."

"Life's not fair," Erza said, shrugging, "and I think I can do it, if I just get used to it... I hope."

"You know," Aizen said, nodding and smiling, "I was quite terrified when I first taught a class. I had the advantage of training for the position, but it was still quite a nervous experience."

"You, captain?" Erza said doubtfully.

"Oh, I am sure I must seem quite in control today. The great captain Aizen, who runs a whole division... but I too was a beginner once, and I too was once clueless." He smirked. "How are the students reacting to your methods? Any back-talk?"

Erza chuckled, just a little. "I punched out a bratty kid the first day at school. Word spread, and the students know I don't tolerate nonsense."

He nodded understandingly. "Good, good- you need to make them respect you. But... well, you achieve more, I think, by making them respect you out of admiration rather than fear. These are impressionable young minds, and a teacher's job is to shape them, encourage them, and make them grow- like a loving gardener tending to a flowerbed."

"If I were like you, captain, then I'm sure it would be no problem," she said tiredly, but with some sense of appreciation, "but I never was good at understanding people. Hollows, I understand- put me up against a pack of huges with a sword in my hand, and I'll take them down with all I have. Students? They're a much scarier kind of beast."

Aizen laughed. "It's a good sign that you haven't lost your sense of humour, Scarlet."

"I might lose my sanity, though," Erza said, but she couldn't help but crack a smile.

Aizen gave her a solemn, happy look. "Hang in there. You're strong- not just in your arms and legs. This is a new challenge for you, and I've no doubt it will make you stronger. I'll be happy to help you with what I know about pedagogics."

"Thank you, captain. I mean... so far, I've made them do excercises, just teaching basics, but... I'm _good_. I hate to sound arrogant, but I am really, really good at swordfighting. Lowering myself to the right level, not forgetting that they don't know anything, it's really... akward." She mumbled, scratching her head.

"Acknowledging your own skills is neither arrogant nor boastful." Aizen said reassuringly. "Nevertheless, these are people relying on you. It may not have been handled right- and I'll certainly have a word or two with the principal, I think- but for now, they depend on you. The most heroic of efforts are sometimes made simply because they must be, because nobody else will do it."

"I'm not sure it's very heroic to stand in a classroom looking stern while fighting off a panic attack," Erza mumbled.

"On the contrary, I can think of nothing more heroic," Aizen said calmly and emphatically. "People think a hero is just a man- or woman- who will slay the dragon, save the day, and look fancy in a cape- but violence doesn't achieve anything. Impacting dozens of young minds... does. If you want heroes, look no further than teachers, engineers, scientists, philosophers... these are the people who make a difference. And you have a chance to be one of them."

"I hadn't thought of it like that," Erza mumbled. "...thanks, Aizen. Sir."

"No 'sirs', please," Aizen said, waving his hand dismissively with a chuckle, "and you're welcome. I'm all too glad to help a promising colleague like yourself."

"I appreciate it," Erza said. "Well, I better..." she trailed off, making a vague gesture toward her division.

"By all means," Aizen said, "go get some sleep. Goodness knows you will need it."

Erza nodded, saluted awkwardly, and walked off. Still, tired as she was, she felt a little uplifted.

* * *

School, Renji had learned, was hard. Not as hard as life in the Rukon, though- but between all kinds of annoyingly difficult subjects, like history, literature or math- who the hell needed to know what happened twelve thousand years ago, anyway?- he almost found himself missing his old home.

Almost. Until he remembered what it felt like to starve, or that he'd never had a home out there at all, or the friends he and Rukia had buried, and that school was hard but you never went hungry, and everyone had their own damn bed. Calling it luxury, for a poor sod like himself, was an understatement.

Which didn't really make mathematics any less obnoxious.

And then there was that harpy of a woman who taught them zanjutsu. He still remembered the first day, the humiliation he had gone through- although, in her defense, she had shown no tolerance whatsoever for bullies, and she didn't let anyone off easy even if their parents were rich- and that was more than could be said for some other teachers. A harpy she was, but there were worse harpies out there.  
Right now, he was walking the corridors toward kido class, a dreaded subject he'd be entirely lost in if it weren't for Hinamori, who was walking beside him right now. She was a sweet girl, and though he'd only known her for a week or so, she had already offered him help, for no reason other than that he needed it. Maybe, if he worked hard, there was still that chance of making it, all the way to the top as a shinigami...  
Well, kido class first, top later, he decided.

"Hurry up," Hinamori said, "you can _not_ be late again, Abarai-kun!"

"Don't sweat it," Renji mumbled, "I don't want to fail, all right?"

"But you don't want to do kido either," she shot back.

"...true." He grumbled.

"It's very important!" She nagged. "It's a sublime, subtle power, magic that can-

"Magic that can alter reality and bend the power of spirituality to your will, the greatest and most complicated art there ever was, yada yada yada," Renji grumbled, quoting their kido teacher. "I got it, I got it. It's just... not my thing."

"Of course a crude street rat like you couldn't appreciate anything with subtlety to it."

The voice was familiar- it was that guy who Scarlet had given a beating on day one. Renji didn't remember his full name, didn't have to- nobs were all the same. Akamura something, maybe?

"You got something to say?" Renji sneered, stopping to face him. He stood with his back against a wall, lazily leaning against it as if he owned the place.

"Abari-kun, we don't have the time for this," Hinamori pleaded, but Renji didn't listen.

"I believe I just did. Or were you thick enough to miss that?" Akamura said, sneering.

"Why don't you say all you've got to say, and we'll see what happens next," Renji shot back, balling his fist.

"How typical of street trash, threatening violence over the smallest things," Akamura said condescendingly, "but I'm not afraid of you. I don't think anybody is, after what sensei did to you this monday." He chuckled, and Renji clenched his fist.

"Keep talkin', and I'll show you what street trash do to survive," he said angrily.

"I was trained by father's retainer, a master martial artist," Akamura said, standing up straight, "and I'd _gladly_ teach you a lesson, you inferior. Rats like you shame this school. Society really has let itself go, when trash with no manners or talent can go to school just because they've got the smallest iota of spiritual power."

"Right, that's enough!" Renji snapped, moving forward, raising his fist. Akamura took a stance, looking smugly confident. However, before either one could do anything, Hinamori had put herself between them, her arms outstretched to keep them from getting any closer to each other. She wasn't exactly likely to succeed; she was a small girl, and Renji was easily a head taller than her, and so was Akamura. Still, that didn't seem to bother her.

"Stop it, the both of you!" She demanded with an air of authority far beyond what you'd expect of a student. She almost sounded like a teacher, Renji thought.

"I'm going to show 'im what for, so don't get in the way!" Renji growled.

"Yes, go on- or are you going to let a little girl get in your way?" Akamura said mockingly.

"This is a school!" Hinamori cried emphatically. "We are here to learn, not fight! And maybe you don't like each other, but that's no excuse. Abarai-kun, you need to be better than this. Be the bigger person!"

"I..." Renji said, frowning. Something about her tone did make him hesitate. However, before a decision could be made, there was a sharp voice interrupting them.

"You two!" It was, to Renji's dread- and visibly, Akamura's as well- Erza Scarlet, the red-haired fury. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing at all!" Renji blurted out. "We uh, just had a small disagreement."

"...yes. A, uh, friendly discussion." Akamura said, his tone changed entirely.

"Oh, really." Scarlet said, with that you-are-lying-and-I-know-you-know-I-know-you-are-lying look that only teachers seemed to be able to produce. "Hinamori, is this true?"

"...yes." Hinamori whispered, almost squealing. While Renji and Akamura were not terribly convincing, Hinamori was possibly the worst liar in all of existence.

"So they weren't trying to start a fight?" Scarlet demanded harshly.

Hinamori just stared, looking paralysed. Renji felt sweat forming at his brow. Shit...

"Get to class, all of you!" She said, her tone still harsh. "And report to the principal for detention once the school day is done. If you don't, I will find you, and I will make you regret ever coming to this school."

"B-but, that's unfair-" Akamura began.

"Akamura, do _not_ try my patience," Scarlet said, giving him a cold look, "or I will make it two days of detention."

"B-but,"

"How about three?"

"...yes, sensei." he mumbled.

"We'll go to class! Right away!" Renji said, bowing deeply.

"Well, what are you waiting for? _Go!"_ Scarlet snapped, and the three of them all but ran away from the scene.

Erza watched as they made their way towards their classes. Abarai was a bit of a troublemaker, and Akamura too- but Hinamori had been the one that tried to step between them. Good to know that not all of her students were punks.

* * *

"Miss Scarlet."

The scene was the principal's office. It was evening, that same afternoon, and after finishing her last class, the principal had asked her to come into his office. She wasn't nervous- adults, she could handle, and she was fairly sure her teaching so far hadn't been catastrophic.

"Principal Kateyama." She said, nodding politely. Formality was not her forte, but for the moment, she might as well be polite.

"Do you know why I called you in here?" He said, taking a seat behind his desk. "Sit down, please."

Erza sat down opposite of him. "I haven't the slightest clue, principal."

He sighed. "I know of your record as a fighter, and I realize that you might not be accustomed to some of the... subtleties of school life. I realize you were drafted into this very quickly, with little preparation, so that's understandable."

What on earth was he talking about?

"Sir?"

"Today, you gave Jinto Akamura detention, did you not?"

"And Abarai Renji, and Hinamori Momo," Erza nodded. "What about it?"

"Sanbei Akamura is the head of the Akamura clan, and they are of some notability. Not as reputable as the Kuchiki or Shihoin, but wealthy and influential no less. They are a major contributor to school activities-"

"Tell me, principal," Erza cut him off, "if you saw three students involved in a fight, what would you do?"

"Miss Scarlet, stay on the subject, please-"

"I _am_ staying on the subject," Erza said, steel in her voice, "and I ask that you answer my question. Please."

'Please', she might have said, but somehow it sounded more like 'or else' to Principal Kateyama.

"Miss Scarlet, I don't think-"

"Answer the question." There was no room for argument in her voice.

He sighed again. "...I suppose I would break up the fight, and discipline all students involved."

"That is exactly what I did." Erza said, nodding. "Is that a problem?"

"You have to understand the reality of the situation, Miss Scarlet," Kateyama retorted. "This, on top of abusing him the first day-"

"I had a look at the teacher guide lines before," Erza said firmly, "and, I quote, 'a teacher has the right to discipline a student who misbehaves at any time, verbally or physically'. Do you call that abuse?"

"That is all well and good," the principal groaned, "but I've been receiving some very angry complaints from his father. I really must ask that this stops."

"What exactly are you asking? That I look the other way when he bullies somebody? That I ignore him disrupting my classes? That I teach him nothing in the way of discipline, and ignore his lacking results?"

"You have to understand, the situation is complicated," the principal said, looking tired.

"It doesn't look complicated to me," Erza said angrily. "You're asking me to give him special treatment because his father is rich. Well, I'm not going to. If he behaves, there won't be a problem. If he doesn't, he will be disciplined just like anybody else. And if his father has a problem with it, he can take it up with me personally. Go ahead- tell him I refused."

"Miss Scarlet, you're treading on dangerous ground. You had best adapt, or you may be forced to suffer the consequences."

Erza gave a short laugh. "What, like being fired from a job I didn't want in the first place? A job that you don't have a replacement for?" She stood up, fists clenched. "Tell his father that I'm not impressed by his money, or his status. And if you can't handle what he has to throw at me, then good luck finding a new teacher."  
With that, she turned around, walked out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

The next day, Erza surveyed her class, all of them doing basic swings with wooden swords for the moment. It had been three weeks since she had started now, and while it was still an exhausting job, it had stabilized somewhat. She showed students the way, followed the teaching plan, and mostly just kept watch as they exercised.  
Some stood out. Izuru Kira, for example, showed excellent form, while Abarai Renji showed a strong endurance. He was slow to take in form, but seemed to have an intuition for what he needed to do.  
And others still stood out for less flattering reasons. Somebody always had to be the last, and Hinamori Momo was that somebody. She was struggling- her physique was not well trained, and she seemed poorly suited to swing a sword around. But as Erza knew well, even a pitiful soul could grow up to become a mighty warrior. Still, she wasn't looking good at the moment...

Erza waited until the class was over, and as she dismissed them, the students poured out of the classroom, relieved that their intense training was over. Erza tolerated no slacking from anybody, and her students would more often than not walk out with sore muscles.  
When most of the students had left, Erza called out to Hinamori.

"Hinamori, come here."

She was sweaty, breathing heavily, wisps of hair hanging raggedly from her head.

"Yes... sensei?" She huffed.

"Do you have a moment?"

She nodded. "Uh, huh... yeah. It's, hah, half an hour till our next class." She was taking long, deep breaths.

"I've been looking at you in class," Erza said.

"I'm... I'm so sorry, sensei," Hinamori said, sounding disappointed. "I... I know I'm not very good at this..."

"You're not." Erza said bluntly. "Which is why I want to give you the help you need. How about some extra lessons?"

"Sensei?" Hinamori mumbled.

"I'll be honest with you- if this keeps up, you will not pass this class." She saw the look on Hinamori's face as she said it, and almost regretted her forthrightness, but it had to be said. "You work hard, but sometimes, that's not enough."

"...oh." She mumbled. "But... I don't want the others..." She trailed off.

"You don't want what, Hinamori?"

She was quiet for a bit, until Erza's steely gaze got the better of her. "I don't want the others to think I'm getting special treatment."

Erza smiled, and walked up closer to her. "Listen, Hinamori, we're all different. Some students need more attention than others. Some people take longer to learn. And there's no shame in that." She put a hand on her shoulder. "At any rate, I'm not giving you a choice. When is the next time you have a free hour?"

"Er, tomorrow. Eleven in the morning."

Erza nodded. "I'll make some arrangements. Meet me here tomorrow, and we'll figure out how to improve your style."

"Th-thanks, sensei," she mumbled, and bowed shyly.

"Well, off with you," Erza said, in what she hoped was an encouraging tone. "Go do your... student-y stuff."

* * *

The next day, at eleven sharp, Hinamori Momo stood outside the kendo classroom, feeling a little nervous. Her sensei was an intimidating person, hard and harsh and with no tolerance for goofing off. She hadn't imagined she was a very caring person- but here she was, about to receive extra help just because she needed it. Out of all the teachers she had met so far, Miss Scarlet was not one she had expected to do that- she had seemed like most of the others, who either passed you or failed you, not seeming to care much which one it was, so long as most did well enough.

Feeling that sinking feeling in her gut, she stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind her. The room was empty, seeming so very large without all the students filling it, and by her desk sat Miss Scarlet.

"You're on time. Good."

"Yes, sensei," Momo all but whispered.

"Come on, don't be so damn quiet- I won't bite," Miss Scarlet said, but somehow, something inside Momo was not entirely convinced. Miss Scarlet walked up to one of the training mats, two wooden swords in hand, and gestured to Momo.  
"We haven't got all day. Come on, take one."

"Y-yes!" Momo squealed, hurrying up to her sensei. Apprehensively, she took one of the swords in hand. "S-so..."

"Show me how you do a basic downward swing." Miss Scarlet said.

Eagerly, Momo obeyed, gripping the sword in both hands, and swinging down hard. Her sensei shook her head.  
"Again."

Again, Momo swung the sword, down, as hard as she could.

"Keep going," sensei said, "until I tell you to stop."

Obediently, she swung her sword, down, down, over and over, as fast and hard as she could manage. She felt herself getting warm, sweat forming under her clothes.

"Stop." Miss Scarlet said. "This just is no good."

"Sorry, sensei," Momo mumbled.

"Here, look at me," She said, holding her own sword high, and elegantly bringing it down. It was fast and forceful, everything Momo's own swing was not.  
"Can you tell the difference between my swing and yours?"

"Er..." Momo said, desperately trying to think of one. She wished with all her will that this had been kido; that subject made _sense_, it was deductible and elegant...  
"N-no..." She murmured at last.

"It looks the same to you, yes? That is your problem." She held her sword up again. "Look at me. Now, hold up your sword like I do." Momo obeyed.  
"You grip it too tightly," Miss Scarlet explained, "and you swing too hard. Put your lower hand further down the hilt, ease your grip, and swing down."

Trying her best to adjust, Momo did as she said.  
"But, sensei," she murmured, after bringing the sword down, "my swing just becomes too weak. I couldn't hurt anybody this way."

"Always adjust your training after your level of strength and endurance," Miss Scarlet explained calmly. "Exhausting yourself needlessly can get you killed all too easily. Strength, endurance, those things come with time if you train regularly. Hit weakly, but without tiring yourself too much, until you feel you can go the full hour without hurting yourself. When you can do that, up the pace. Now, with me- we'll go slow. For now, I'll show you the basic swing, until you can do it right."

For almost the full hour they kept going, Miss Scarlet adjusting herself to Momo's pace. Every now and then, she'd correct her, show her what she was doing wrong. So they kept going, without Momo overworking herself, and ten minutes before the hour was done, Miss Scarlet stopped her.

"All right, that will do for now."

"I'm sorry, sensei," Momo mumbled, hanging her head. "I'm not getting it right at all. I'm wasting your time."

To her surprise, Miss Scarlet threw her head back, and laughed.

"Sensei?" She said quizzically.

"Do you think you can learn a basic strike in just an hour?" Sensei said, smiling widely. "A novice must practice it for hours on end to get it right. A swordsmaster can practice it for decades before truly perfecting it. Do you think I'm doing it perfectly? The Gotei is full of people much better than I am."

"I-I can't believe that, sensei," Momo mumbled, feeling confused.

"Well, it's the truth. To be honest, you are doing fine for a beginner. There is not putting enough effort in, but there's also trying too hard. Exercise your body, work hard, and practice with me when you have the time, and I'll at least make you proficient with a blade. That much, I can promise you."

"R-really, sensei?" Momo asked, relief flooding her mind. "You really think that..."

"I know it." Miss Scarlet said, nodding encouragingly. "To be honest, I'm not a very good teacher. I don't know the first thing about handling a bunch of kids like you. But I figured, helping the ones who need it was a good place to start. I'll see to it that everyone who _can_ pass, will pass. People like you, who need more than just standing around in class, swinging a sword at random."

"You're not a bad teacher, sensei," Momo mumbled shyly, a small smile on her face.

"That's very kind of you. I haven't done this for a month, though... so I don't know."

"Well..." Momo said, daring to open up a little, "if you want to be a better teacher, then..."

"Then what? Go on, speak up."

"M-maybe," Momo stuttered, "m-maybe you should be a little friendlier. I-I mean, the students are all afraid of you, and that means they don't act up in class, b-but, if they l-liked you, maybe-maybe they'd think you were a better teacher..." She choked up. "S-sorry, I said too much.

Miss Scarlet frowned, and Momo felt afraid that she might have messed up, angered her after all had been going so well.

"They're afraid of me?"

"Y-yes!" Momo squealed.

"...I can't say I'm surprised, although I hadn't thought of it," her sensei mumbled, "and why is that?"

"B-because you beat students who act up, sensei,"

"Oh. That." Erza said, sounding absent-minded. "What would I do to seem less... beastly, then?"

"You're asking me, sensei?"

"Well, you are a student, are you not?"

"Well, er, yes," Momo said, feeling a little bolder. "Maybe you could show them you're not always harsh? Praise them when they're doing well? They should be doing the right thing because it's right, not because they are afraid."

"Yes, that... makes sense. Thank you, Hinamori."

Momo took a deep breath. It hadn't backfired after all? Then, her eyes wandered to the clock.

"Oh dear!" She exclaimed. "Shoot- I'll be late for class!"

"Well, all right- run off with you then. We'll see about more training when we can." Miss Scarlet said, in a friendly tone.

"Thanks! See you, sensei! Thanks again!" Momo cried, as she hurried out of the classroom. She felt upset, shaken deeply- but not entirely in a bad way.

* * *

Renji had, in his time so far, found that making friends was possible even without the need for survival, as it had been in the Rukongai. He had gotten familiar with Kira Izuru, a low-ranking noble kid, and Hisagi Shuhei, a punk like himself, and a good few others that he were on somewhat friendly terms with. School life, maths aside, was turning out all right. Currently, they were discussing the crimson terror of the school: Miss Erza Scarlet the dreaded.

"I heard she beat up a guy so bad, he had to be sent to the hospital," one of the guys- Renji wasn't sure what his name was- said.

"Yeah, and I heard she eats children and lives in a gingerbread house." Hisagi shot back snarkily. "Get real, will ya?"

"You gotta say, though, she's pretty hardcore," Renji mumbled.

"Oh yeah, like when she beat down that punk on day one," Hisagi sniggered. "now that was a blast. Plus," he added, "you have to admit, she's kind of a bomb shell." He said, making a gesture with both hands towards his chest."

"Maybe that's where you look, but all I can think of when I see her is her fists," Renji shot back, grinning. There was a general chuckling from the boys around them.

"She's an elite shinigami." Kira cut in calmly, with that same restrained, polite voice he always had. "Tenth division, seventh seat."

"How'd you know that?" Hisagi cut in. "You a stalker, or something?"

"Official records, available to the public," Kira said, sounding bored. "It's no harder than visiting the school library. They have a whole index for every seated officer in the Gotei."

"No shit." Renji said. "So what's she doing here, teaching?"

"Temporary replacement," Kira said, shrugging. "She has an interesting history, too- over a hundred extermination missions, every one of them successful. Went from unranked soldier to ranked officer to single digit seat in just a few years."

"Sounds like she'd know how to swing a sword, then," Hisagi quipped.

"There's a cherry on top," Kira said, almost sounding smug.

"Well, spit it out!" Renji shot back. "Don't keep us in suspense, ya twit!"

Kira smirked. "I don't suppose you've heard of the... Scarlet... massacre?"

"Uh, duh," Renji said. "A whole class got murdered, including the officers who were with 'em, and there were only two survivors. Everyone knows that story. The teachers tell it to us so we'll take life more seriously." Then, something dawned on him. "Wait, the _Scarlet_ massacre- you don't mean-"

"Two survivors, one of them was her," Kira said contentedly, "and since then, she's done nothing but climb upwards by killing hollows. I don't know about you, Hisagi, but I wouldn't let her catch me staring at her chest."

"Shit." Hisagi said, sounding impressed. "That's... kinda hot, actually."

"You mean to tell me our teacher's a bad-ass veteran like that? Really?" Renji said.

"No doubt." Kira said. "You could always check the records if you don't believe me."

"Shit..." he mumbled.

* * *

Renji had, since the first week, been at the top of his class in kendo. He sucked at math, he sucked at history, he was a wreck in kido, but with a sword in his hand, he was better than most. Up till now, he hadn't thought much of their teacher- she seemed content just watching them do exercises, not really interfering much herself... and all this time, they had been watched by a veteran, a real fighter who had overcome things that would kill most men.

It was an exhilarating thought.

The next day, after his class in zanjutsu had ended, Renji lingered behind, as all the students eagerly drained from the classroom. For all of class, all day long, he had thought of nothing else- he was good with a sword, and he was being trained by an elite- and he wanted more than just being overseen.

He wasn't sure what he was going to say. Improvisation would have to be the way, although that meant he'd fuck up for sure- but there was no good way to phrase what he wanted, because he couldn't quite put words to it himself.

"Abarai?" Miss Scarlet said, frowning. "Why haven't you left yet?"

"Er, um," Renji began. God damn the idea of improvising... "Well, you see, er,"

"Stop blabbering and either explain yourself, or be on your way. I have another class in ten minutes."

"I know you're one of the best hollow hunters in your division," Renji blurted out. Confident that he was messing up somehow, he decided to throw himself off the proverbial cliff, and continued, "you're one of the best there is. And I want to learn from that."

"You _are_ learning from me, Abarai," Miss Scarlet said dismissively, "now if that was all, be on your way."

"I mean _really_ learn!" Renji almost shouted. "In class, you just make us do these... normal things. Form, strikes, practicing with each other, and you only correct us if we do something wrong. I want to learn how to really fight, fight like you do out there! Fighting the real thing, not just learning how to swing a sword up and down!"

"You learn to walk before you learn to run, and you learn to crawl before you learn to walk."

"It's been two months, sensei, and I think I can do better. In fact, I know I can! But I need somebody who will-"

"Enough." She said. "You'll learn what everyone else learns."

"I know about the massacre." He blurted out, realizing he was crossing a line the moment he said it. "I know that you hunted more hollows than anybody beneath vice-captain rank- you're strong, really strong, and-"

There was a fierce glare in her eye, and Erza's hand shot out, grabbing him by the rim of his shirt, pulling him up close. With fury in her voice, she hissed,  
"What the hell do you know, you stalking little bastard? You think you know what I've seen, what I've done, what I've been through? You come here, throwing that in my face, and expect me to give you special treatment?"

"I-I'm not a stalker!" Renji spat out, almost choking on his words, "One of the guys told me! It's all in the official records in the library, I promise! I didn't go poking my nose in this, I swear!"

Still staring at him with rage, she let go of his shirt, almost shoving him backward. "So why the hell should I teach you especially? You're already at the top of your class- that's just selfish."

Renji took a deep breath, and though feeling intimidated still, he dared talk back with spirit.  
"I'm not like the others. I want to really do my best- to the next level. I don't want to just pass, I want to excel! I want to be the best there is, and if you won't help me, I will find someone else who will!"

He breathed heavily, fearful that he had stepped in it one time too many, that a beating was coming his way, that he'd be thrown out, failed, expelled...

But nothing happened. For nearly two minutes of unbearable silence, nothing happened, and Renji's mind raced like it never had before. He forced himself to stay calm, to not go crazy- but it was futile, of course, as one fear ran after another.  
And then, after what felt like an eternity, she said,

"Tomorrow evening, before midnight. This room. I'll see if you're worth my time."

"B-but that's after light's out- I'd be breaking curfew-"

"Too cowardly to break a few rules?" Miss Scarlet said sardonically, glancing at him with contempt. "Sneak out. It's not difficult. If you don't even have the courage to do that, I have no time to waste on you."

"Y-yes, sensei!" Renji snapped, bowing deeply. "Thank you, sensei!"

"Get the hell out of here before I change my mind." She snarled. Not one to try his luck any further, Renji ran out the door.

Erza leaned back against her desk, sighing. Why had she done that? For a moment, she had wanted to rip his spine out- the idea that the massacre was well known, that this is what she was known for, did not sit well with her, and being reminded of it... it brought back a dark place insider her head. But even with his clumsiness, with his stupidity, there was something familiar. She saw Abarai Renji, and somehow, she remembered a pink-haired knucklehead, with little brains but more than enough heart, a young man who would do anything for his friends, who even if things seemed hopeless would never lose faith.  
They were not alike, not really, but there was something about that spirit- about defying her, against all common sense, just because he wanted to be the best he could be...

Dark memories aside, it brought back bright ones too. Was age just making her sentimental- or had she always been this way?

* * *

It was not quite midnight- in fact, the time was closer to just past ten- but it might as well have been, as far as Renji was concerned. The dojo was pitch black, illuminated only by a few rays of moonlight. It was funny how different everything looked- all the mats folded up and stacked against the walls, leaving the room... empty. Empty, aside from his sensei- he hoped. She had told him to meet him here, but he couldn't quite see anybody...

But then he saw something move, and what he had thought to be just a shadow was Erza Scarlet-sensei, standing in the dark. Her bright red hair looked almost black in the moonlight, and she looked eerie- she had the same stern expression she always had in class, but here, now, she reminded him of an unforgiving wraith.  
Luckily she wasn't, he reminded himself.

"Sensei?" He began. He tried not to sound nervous, but doubted he was successful- he wasn't quite sure what he was doing, or what would come of this.

"You're on time. Good." She said, and slid open the door facing outside, bathing the room in the pale moonlight.

"Wouldn't miss it." Renji said, trying to sound confident as he held up his wooden training sword.

"You wish to learn from me?"

"Of course, sensei!" He exclaimed. "I want to learn what it's like to really ifight/i- not just wave sticks at each other, practicing form!"

"Maybe I can teach you that- but it will hurt," Erza said coolly.

"No pain, no gain, right?" Renji mumbled.

"True." Erza said, nodding. Renji watched confusedly, as she opened the top of her shihakusho, sliding it off her body. He could see her naked shoulders underneath it, and her...  
His face reddened.

"Sensei, I ur, I-" He mumbled, not knowing what to think. "I don't think-"

In the blink of an eye, she had crossed the distance between them, and slammed a fist into his gut. As he doubled over, trying to stand up straight, Erza slowly and deliberately raised her wooden sword, and slammed its flat side into his face, hard, sending him tumbling across the floor. Renji saw stars, and hoped to all the gods that his jaw wasn't broken- or that he wasn't about to break anything bigger. As soon as he could manage, he worked himself up on all fours, trying to see straight. He fumbled about with his arm, trying to reach for his sword- he'd lost it, dropped it from his hands...  
And then Erza's strong hand grabbed him by the wrist, and pulled him up to his feet. Renji blinked. Up close, he could see it- she was wearing wraps around her chest, _sarashi._ Suddenly, he felt very stupid.

"Rule number one of fighting properly: never get distracted," Erza said harshly, and gently rested the flat side of her sword against his cheek, where it had hit home. "This is a wooden sword. It cannot kill you. Had it been a real sword, you would be dead now."

"Yes, sensei!" Renji exclaimed.

"I will not go easy on you, and if you break, it might be worse for you. This, just now- that's just a first taste. Do you still wish to learn?"

_"Yes, sensei!"_ Renji cried resolutely. His cheekbone hurt, madly so, and he would have a nasty red mark on his face for weeks to be sure, but he finally had it- the attention of his teacher, an experienced warrior.

* * *

That night, after having ended a very painful first session- for Renji, not her- Erza lay in her bed, unable to sleep, her mind stuck reflecting on the past and the present both. She wasn't a very good teacher, she realized- she might be one day, but not as she was now. And what bothered her about that- well, many things did, but specifically at the moment- was how the academy's other teachers didn't seem to care. Hinamori had been right- treating her students more kindly, with more understanding, that had been better. It's what she should have done from day one- not that she blamed herself, she had done her best... but even so, even being harsh and unforgiving, nobody had so much as complained about her methods, aside from that rich kid. If anything, she got the idea that they approved- that shouting, bullying and beating was the right way to go. Shinpachi-sensei had never done that unless it was necessary; he had been firm, attentive, focused... but then again, he was different. Gentle.

She had always been a harsh woman, at least when facing the world. Sure, she had let herself relax in the company of friends, but her past had made her hard- tough, unflinching, and cold. Come to think of it, how often had she beaten Natsu and Gray, back when she was alive? How many times had they been afraid of her? She hadn't thought much about it before- but now, she was in charge of people not unlike them. Young people, looking to her for guidance. Young people who were afraid of her.

Was she worth calling herself teacher at all? Was she even worth calling herself shinigami?

Closing her eyes, she thought back to a good few months earlier, when she had been out on a mission with Ikkaku...

_With elegant ferocity, Erza leaped towards the hollows. There were three of them, but she couldn't care less about the numbers. Flawlessly, her weapons shifted according to her will- after dispatching the first beast with a swipe of her double blades, her weapon became a great axe, smashing the skull of the next monster, before turning it into a spear, thrusting forward right into the mask of the last hollow. The process took no longer than five seconds, and the monsters were purified before they had a chance to fight back._  
_Breathing heavily, she looked around for more enemies to kill. To her disappointment, there were none- Ikkaku had just dispatched the last one, a big, ugly beast in the shape of a badger. As it disintegrated, Erza took a deep breath, and let her zanpakutou slip back into its sealed form. Wiping some blood off her blade with her sleeve, she calmly sheathed her swords._

_"You really got a knack for this," Ikkaku mumbled, resting his spear over his shoulder._

_"It's nothing," she mumbled, and shrugged. "they were weak. I was faster, stronger- not even a challenge. You got the big one."_

_"And a rowdy beast he was at that, aye," Ikkaku said, nodding. He paused for a while, and gave her a look._  
_"You... all right there, Scarlet?"_

_"I'm fine, senpai." She said questioningly. "Why do you ask?"_

_"'Cause you got hollow blood all over you, and you don't seem to even notice."_

_"Do I?" Erza said, examining her clothes. She touched her cheek; there was blood there, and not her own, and plenty more on her shihakusho. "Oh. I suppose I do. What about it? More work for the men on laundry duty, I guess."_

_"I wonder about you..." Ikkaku said, and there was something... different to his tone._

_"What?"_

_"How many hunts you been on so far?"_

_"Seventy-three," Erza said, shrugging. "Or it could be sixty-eight. Or seventy-nine. I'm not really sure."_

_"And how much time do you spend back at the division?"_

_"...what about it?" Erza said irritably. Now that she thought about it- she didn't spend much time there, not as of late. She had taken every extermination mission she could get her hands on; it had been one hunt to the next._

_"I'm sayin'," Ikkaku said, grimacing, "and I can't believe it's me sayin' it, 'cos I'm not one to be lecturin' on shit like this,"_

_"Spit it out." Erza said bluntly._

_"Scarlet, why are you a shinigami?"_

_"What sort of question is that? Do you think I'm bad at this?"_

_"Take it as a straightforward question. No jokes, no shit-talking, no nothing. Just that question- why are you a shinigami?"_

_"We're shinigami," Erza said, grinding her teeth, "to kill- purify- hollows. That's why we're around. That is why," she said, gesturing to the place around them, "we've come here in the first place."_

_Ikkaku made a face again. "I really ain't the right person for this sort of thing- but no, that ain't the purpose of a shinigami. The reason we exist, accordin' to the lore of old, is to send souls on their way to the afterlife, and protect the balance between the worlds. We're supposed to be guardians." He spat at the ground. "Now, I realize I ain't much of a guardian- I joined to kick ass and take names, and the whole guarding thing's a job, but for me, it's the fun of fighting that does it."_

_"So what's the issue?" Erza shot back. "Why'd you criticize me for doing what you do?"_

_"Because you ain't me, Scarlet," Ikkaku said, gravely. "Yer different. Yer... moral, I suppose. The kind that cares about others. And moreover, I'd bet you my left nut you ain't doin' all these hunts because you love fightin'. I know fightin', and I know why people do it- some for the fun of it like me, some to protect, some to advance themselves..."_

_"And what, exactly, do you think I do it for?"_

_"See, that's the issue- I don't know anymore. That's the dumbest kind of fighting- where you do a lotta fightin' for no reason, 'cos you don't know what else to do."_

_"And that's what I am doing?" Erza said angrily._

_"You got a better reason for me? 'Cos I'm all ears," Ikkaku shot back._

_"I... I'm doing it to protect! Every hollow I kill is one that won't feed on an innocent soul!"_

_"You really believe that, or is it just what you tell yourself?"_

_"What the hell are you saying?"_

_"I'm saying you're losing your way!" Ikkaku snapped. "You're a goody-two-shoes, a nice, caring softie, who kicks ass because it's necessary! That's who you are, that's the Erza Scarlet I got to know. This... living for the hunt, staying back at home only until you can kill again, is that really you? Is that who you want to be? Or is it just what you do 'cos you lost your friends?"_

_Furiously, Erza lunged forward, and slugged Ikkaku in the face. He staggered backward, but kept himself upright._

_"Don't you dare!" She shouted. "Don't you dare judge me like this!"_

_"Maybe that's what you need!" Sneered Ikkaku. "And maybe you just hit me right now 'cos you know I'm right!"_

_"I'll-"_

_"Do what? Beat the snot outta me? Kill me? Go on!" Ikkaku said, dropping his spear, and holding his hands out. "If that's who you want to be, go right ahead!"_

_Erza stood there, staring at him, fists clenched. "To hell with you," she whispered, and turned around. Drawing her zanpakutou, she opened a portal back to the soul society. "Go to hell, Madarame!"_

_"Already been there!" Ikkaku shot back, "and it's not the place for you!"_

_As the portal closed behind her, a tear ran down her cheek. She was supposed to have moved on. She was supposed to have become... functioning again. Not forgetting them, but... move on._

_So why was he right?_

It had been a good few months since, and Erza had taken fewer missions. She had spent more time at home, more time with Isane, and even Rangiku. And now... she was a teacher.

Maybe, when all was said and done, this was what she needed.

* * *

**Well, that turned out to be quite the long chapter didn't it? Still, im very satisfied with how this went.**

**And, in case you didn't figure this out, Renji and Momo are the characters that will play large roles in this story. The latter especially, given she is my personal favorite character for BLEACH. I think you, the readers, will enjoy what I have in mind for both her and Renji.**

**Aizen is still offering good advice, and Erza is slowly yet surly learning how to teach her students correctly, which I think if a good thing. After all, its good practice before running an entire division, don't you agree?**

**Anyways, thanks for taking your time to read this chapter. If you liked it, please, feel free to leave a review and tell us what you thought or ask questions in Private Messages. Reviews are motivate us to write more and to do better and tell us if we're making any mistakes.**

**Once again, thank you.**


	13. The Bonds between Teacher and Student

**Written by Greatkingratt88. Once again, thank you.**

**F****airy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.**

**A new chapter brought to you be ours truly is a good way to start the month, don't you think? We've finally done It, we're passed 100,000 words! And to think, were not even CLOSE to the end of this story, no far from it! Still, I really hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

**Please though, leave me a review. It gives both me and my writer the motivation we need to continue!**

* * *

One day turned into night, turning into another day into another night into another day, and before Erza knew it, five more months had passed, nearly a year having passed since she first started teaching. It was absurd, amazing, and a little frightening, how quickly time passed- in the few instances she had the time and energy to philosophize, that was. From dawn till evening, she was busy- with teaching, with lunch, with her students, with after-school activities, with this and that.

Some, admittedly, was entirely by her own choice- Erza was the kind of person who would rather be overworked than sit idle.  
Five months ago, lying in her bed, she had reflected that maybe this was what she had needed. Before that, she had thought she was done grieving- but nightmares had haunted her enough that she could see now that had just been a delusion, wishful thinking. She had sought to drown her grief in the blood of her enemies, but that had made no difference- if anything, it had made it worse. But here, far from any hollow or suchlike monster, where she never had cause to raise her sword- here, she had found some solace. She had learned how to teach, somewhat- how to pay attention, how to balance the carrot and stick, how to command respect without fear... well, to an extent. But with all her efforts dedicated to helping others, all her energy spent on it, it had become strangely therapeutic. Erza had never imagined it, but somehow... she liked it here. Not as a place to stay at forever, but for the time being, being the sensei was all right.

Like right now, with yet another late night sparring with Abarai Renji. For all this time, they had snuck out to the dojo, at least three nights each week, and if any teacher or student knew, then nobody said a thing.  
And Abarai... he had soared. She had been hard on him, every step of the way, always adjusting her skill and strength enough that he could never quite match her- but in this short time, he had come a long way. He was stronger than any of his classmates by far, faster. His reflexes were quicker, his muscles were bigger, and he had begun to hear the voice of his blade. Knowing all this, Erza's heart would sometimes swell with pride, a pride unlike any she had known for the longest while- the pride of knowing that she had made somebody's life better. Not saving somebody's life- improving it. It felt good enough that sometimes she felt a little ashamed, as if all her accomplishments as a teacher were just for herself, for healing her wounds, for making herself feel bigger. She always dismissed that, though- what point was there to work, if you could not enjoy it?

"Oi, oi, oi!" Renji cried enthusiastically, thrusting his wooden blade at Erza's face, tearing her from her musings, "Don't fall asleep, sensei! I'm not gonna go easy on you!"

"Good boy," Erza said calmly, with a smile. She was impressed, though she didn't show it- he was fast enough now that, when she was distracted, he almost got past her guard.  
Thrusting viciously against her chest, feinting once against her midsection, he cut a short, vicious swipe against her neck, and Erza found she could just barely block it. The dull blade of his training sword touched her neck, and though it could go no further, it was clear- he had got her on the defensive.

"That woulda drawn blood, sensei," Renji said, grinning confidently.

"It would," Erza said contently, and shoved him backward, "but don't get so sure of yourself, boy."

Lunging forward, she struck hard, once, two, three times, nearly knocking the blade out of his hands. He hung on, just barely, and tried a counterattack- just like she had taught him. The sword stabbed forward, and Erza moved her head to the side, and firmly planted her foot in his chest, sending him flying with a kick. He landed with a thud, and for a moment, Erza wondered if she had gone too far.  
But after a couple seconds, Renji groaned, and propped himself up.

"Oof..." He mumbled. "Hell, sensei, I can never win..."

"Do not attempt anything you are not prepared to fail." She said sternly. "If winning means trying and failing a thousand times, then what do you do?"

"I try a thousand and one times," He said, grunting and getting to his feet again.

"That's right," She said, nodding. "You've done well. Do not compare yourself to me- there is no student in this school you could not beat."

"Yeah, yeah," He mumbled, nodding, looking a little groggy. "So, again?"

"I think you had enough for one night," she said, laughing a little. "Sit down, rest, and go to bed when your head clears up."

"I can still fight," he mumbled defiantly, but sat himself down on the mat nonetheless.

"I know you can," Erza said merrily, grabbing two bottles of water from her teacher's desk, and sat herself opposite of him. "But you have to know when it's time to stop. That's an important skill, too."

"Do you, sensei?" Renji asked, taking a swig from his bottle. "Know when to stop, I mean."

"Why do you ask?"

"Because..." He hesitated, huffed, and drank again, "well, you always seem so... fired up, I guess. And this is just the training grounds... what are you like when it's a real fight?"

"...good point," Erza mumbled, and took a drink of water herself. "Where I came from, we never learned an ounce of discipline- it was all heart, intuition, giving everything you've got to protect your family. Back then, I'd go crazy if I had to, even if it meant dying..."

Renji drank another swig, sweat pouring from his forehead. "Is that how you... I mean, if it's not uh, too personal." He sounded anxious, as if he was afraid he'd crossed a boundary.

"No, that's not it," Erza said, shaking her head, holding her hand up dismissively, to put him at ease. "That's not how I died. Don't worry yourself. Funny that- you'd think that's how I'd go out..." She shook her head. "Anyway, enough about me."

"Yeah, sure." Renji said, wiping his brow. "Um..."

Not wanting this to turn into an awkward silence, Erza said, a little quickly, "So... how about uh, girls?"

"Girls, sensei?"

Erza shrugged. "Most your friends date and such, don't they?" She had noticed Renji- as had anyone with eyes, really- had his eye on this one student, Rukia. She had come with him from the Rukon, his one surviving friend. She was pretty, in a quiet sort of way. Typical, really- long time comrades turned lovers, you heard about that all the time. "You got somebody you're interested in?"

"I don't know what you mean," Renji murmured defensively.

"Like a certain raven-haired student? One who's good at kido-"

"Well, look at the time!" Renji said, standing up. "Thanks, sensei- I really appreciate this, but... you were right, it's late. Know when to quit, and all that. See you tomorrow night, yeah?"

Erza sighed. So much for not being awkward, then. She had a way to go still, didn't she?

* * *

Later, during lunch, Erza sat by herself in the dining hall. There was a teacher's table, but Erza never felt at home there- they were stiff people, formal and strict, and dreadfully boring. Not that she'd say it out loud, but they were not her people. So, she would pick her own table, often ending up next to other students. There was no rule against it, but it was frowned upon. Luckily, Erza felt confident she could out-frown most people in the school.

As she opened her simple lunch of rice balls, fish and soy sauce, she spotted Hinamori, looking a little undecided. Waving to her, she motioned for her to come sit.

"Come," she said, as Hinamori approached her table, "I've got a spot for you, too." She gestured at the chair opposite of her.

"Is- is that all right, sensei?" Hinamori mumbled.

"Company is better than being alone," Erza shrugged. "Sit down if you like- or don't."

Looking hesitant still, a little nervous, Hinamori eased herself down into her seat, and took out her lunch, no different from Erza's. Contentedly, Erza ate, and quietly, Hinamori joined her.

"So," Erza said, after a little while, "how are you doing in classes these days?"

"Just fine, sensei," she said shyly. "Except zanjutsu, I'm doing fine- or at least decently- in all subjects. Thanks to you, I am sure I will pass."

"It's nothing," Erza said happily. "I'm glad I was able to be a proper teacher." Nearly a year it had been, and Momo's extra lessons had ended three months ago. The girl had grown some muscle, listened to Erza's advice, and finally caught up to the rest of the class. Right now, she was just slightly above the average- she knew how to use a sword well enough for her level. Given her affinities, though, she wasn't likely to be much of a swordsmaster.  
"How is kido?"

Momo smiled lightly.  
"Sensei says, well..."

"Go on, say it," Erza said encouragingly, "if you got praised, it's all right to tell people about it."

"Sensei said my essay about the flow of spiritual particles upon the discharge of an offensive kido was brilliant. He said I was years ahead of my class. He even said..." She blushed. "He said it was genial."

"There you go," Erza said, nodding cheerfully, "I couldn't do that in a million years- you'll make an expert mage, I'm sure."

"You can't have been that bad, sensei," Momo said, ignoring the praise. She was humble, Erza had noticed- she seemed uncomfortable with being in the spotlight, with being better than others.

Erza took a bite of her last rice ball, and chewed. "You know how you were in swordsmanship? That was me in kido. I could barely control my own reiatsu at all."

Momo giggled. "It's hard to imagine you as a student, sensei."

"I'm serious," Erza insisted. "I would have failed my first classes, if it wasn't for..." She went quiet.

_If it wasn't for Marisa._

"Sensei?"

"It's- it's nothing," Erza mumbled. Damn it, she should be able to say it as it was. "There was somebody, a clever girl who was good at kido- like you, but a little bolder- who held me up, who got me through the first month. I owe her a lot."

"Is she..." Momo said, and trailed off, looking nervous again. They both knew what she meant, and Momo looked scared, like she had gone too far. "I- I mean, I don't want to pry, sensei-"

"She died." Erza said flatly. "Back then. I'm sure everybody knows, anyhow. It's nothing to run from."

"I'm sorry, sensei."

"Don't be." Erza said, trying to sound neutral. She felt a sting at the memory, tugging at her heart in ways all too familiar, but she was in charge of herself- she was well past the point of breaking down. "It wasn't your fault. Or my fault. It was nobody's fault. I shouldn't have brought it up, really."

"No, it's fine," Hinamori said, shaking her head, "you still remember those people, and that's good. You shouldn't act like they're an embarrassment, sensei."

"They're not," Erza mumbled, "but... well, I guess it's good to remember them for the good they did."

It was strange, how close Hinamori had become- a student giving a teacher advise, on personal issues, Erza was fairly sure that wasn't standard. But even so, she found she didn't dislike it.

"That's right," Hinamori said enthusiastically. "You should think of the good times."

"I will." Erza mumbled. "In my own time." She sighed, and downed the last piece of rice. "Well, for now, that'll be enough, I think. Good... good talk, Hinamori."

With that, she stood up, and walked away- just like, she realized, Renji had this morning. Ways to go, indeed.

* * *

The next day, Erza walked across the school courtyard, having just finished a class. A little break was in order, although it would be mostly her drinking tea while grading student performance. At least it looked pretty outside, autumn having coloured the trees in marvelous shades of red, yellow and brown.  
Which was why it was all the more irritating when she was interrupted, some man blocking her path, with a posture like he owned the world.

"Erza Scarlet, kendo teacher?" He demanded authoritatively. He was posh, that was for sure- he wore wavy, flowing robes in several layers, with the most extravagant colours- golden, deep purple, deep blue striped with silver. His face was strict; he had a hawk nose and thin lips, and it was like he wore a great big sign that said 'Look at me, everybody, I am very rich and important'.

"That is I," Erza said, sighing inwardly.

"Do you know who I am?" He said, as if it should be obvious.

"Should I?"

He harrumphed. "I am Akamura Senrei, first of my house, lord of the great and venerable house of Akamura, true and loyal servants to the Gotei Thirteen-"

"Did you want something?" Erza said brusquely. It wasn't very polite- but, it seemed, neither was he.

"Do I _want_ something?" He sneered. "I have come to put an end to your vicious persecution of my son, Jinto!"

Oh dear. Sighing even deeper in her mind, Erza said,  
"If you have a complaint, file it with the principal."

"I _tried_ that. Many times! And each time, I got vague answers, excuses, and hints that you were an unruly, unprofessional teacher with no respect for authority or reason! So I came here, in person, to settle this matter once and for all."

Akamura Jinto had been a nuisance since the first day, Erza recalled, and though he had settled down in her class, he was anything but a model student- arrogant and condescending, viewing the rules are guidelines at best.  
"All right," she said coldly, "let's settle this."

"Good! Good!" Senrei said angrily. "You will leave my son alone, you will apologize-"

"Let's settle how he skips class when he feels like it. Let's settle the way he bullies around students weaker than him. Let's settle how he underperforms, and acts like he still has a right to pass class."

"What?!" Senrei cried. "You rebellious bitch, how dare you?"

There were people watching now, all over the school yard; students, teachers, one pair of eyes after another turning her way.

"Why don't we discuss how he's tried to peek in the girls' dorm rooms, several times?" Erza continued mercilessly. "Why don't we discuss why he has no respect for anybody? Children are ignorant- they are as good as their parents taught them to be. So why did nobody teach _him_ respect? Why do you come here, demanding respect for your son, when he's doing nothing to earn it?"

"How _dare_ you!" Senrei shrieked. "My son is a genius, and it is commoner filth like you, envious of our talent and success, who are the problem here! I don't know how you got this far, if you bribed, stole or whored your way up to a comfortable position like this, but I will not allow this kind of disgraceful behaviour! I'll see you fired, you and every last school employee!" He was practically frothing, nearly running out of breath as he screamed his insults.

"I've nothing further to say." Erza said. She wasn't even angry- this man was pitifully angry, self-absorbed and ignorant; being insulted by him was nothing. "Teach your son better manners, and there won't be a problem."

"_Enough!_" Senrei shouted, and raised his hand to slap her. Easily, Erza blocked his strike with her forearm, and quickly grabbed his wrist, holding on to it hard. There was a circle around them know, mortified teachers and excited students, looking at her and this obnoxious man as if they were the center of the world.

"Yes, enough. I agree." Erza said coldly, gripping his wrist even harder.

"Unhand me, you lowborn scum!" Senrei cried, desperately trying to break free- but in vain; he was nowhere near as strong as she was.

In the crowd, Erza could see some kids from her class- including Jinto.

"Akamura!" She demanded harshly. "Yes, you- I can see you at the back! Walk up here, right now!"

Looking deeply uncomfortable, the young Akamura walked up to her, watched by all.

"Your father is under the impression that-" Senrei interrupted her, shrieking some more profanities, but Erza squeezed his wrist a little harder, and he went into a quiet whimper, "under the impression that I have been persecuting you. Bullying you. This is a serious charge. Do you agree with your father's assessment, Akamura?"

The nervousness on his face, the discomfort, the fear- Erza did not envy him.

"Come on, father," he mumbled nervously, visibly upset, "just- just let it go. It's fine. I can handle it myself, I-"

"She is a criminal little bitch, and we will not stand for this affront to our pride!" Senrei cried out, his tone in between a squeal and a shout.

"You did not answer my question, Jinto," Erza said steely. "Have I treated you unfairly? Would you like to take this up with the principal?"

He hesitated, for a long time, looking torn, but then said,  
"N-no. No, all right? Just-just leave it be. Please let him go, sensei."

"Well, there you have it," Erza said, finally letting go of Senrei's wrist. "There has been a misunderstanding. Your son was not persecuted, but you acted out of fatherly concern. Let that be enough."

"What the hell are you thinking, Jinto?" Senrei hissed, rubbing his wrist. "She is- she's a low-born whore, and you don't have to take this abuse! This will go to all the courts, I swear it!"

"Father, I- I have class soon," Jinto mumbled, nervously looking around him, "I have to go, all right?" Quickly, he hurried away, away from Erza and back to the circle around them.

"Come back here, you little brat!" Senrei sneered. "I swear to all the gods-"

What he was about to swear would be forever a mystery, because Erza's fist connected with his jaw, and into the schoolyard mud he went, face first. She could hear cheers from parts of the crowd behind her, students howling, laughing, whistling.

"Harassing a teacher, attempting assault, all in front of witnesses? Take it to your courts, then." Erza said. "I'm not afraid of you, or your money."

"You'll regret this," he sneered, slowly getting himself to his feet. "If it is the last thing I do, I will see to it that you will regret this indignity, Erza Scarlet!"

"I'll be right here," she said calmly. Then turning to the others, she said loudly and clearly, "What are you all looking at? You have classes- the show is over, move along!"

Slowly, the crowd dispersed, each one going their own way. She could see her students, looking amazed; she saw other teachers, looking utterly horrified. She saw Jinto, leaving the scene, with a look of utter shock on his face. And last of all, she saw the principal coming her way, with a grim expression on his face.

"You really messed up this time, Scarlet," He said, shaking his head. "Come with me. To my office, _right now_."

* * *

She was marched into his office, and somewhere in some distant, absurd part at the back of her head, it struck her that she would be late for class. And then, of course, it started to dawn on her, slowly but steadily, that maybe she had _really screwed up_.

"Principal Kateyama-" She began, but he stopped her immediately.

"Just... be quiet." He said, in a strangely low-key tone. "Shut up for a minute." He walked over to his desk, an aged, finely polished thing, and took out a liquor bottle, and a glass, and poured himself a healthy drink. He took the glass in his hand, and downed the liquor in one gulp, and gave a deep, throaty grunt.  
"I needed that," he said, sounding strange- not angry, not afraid, just... sort of hollow. "Gods, did I need that."

"Sir-"

"Do you know what you have just done?" He snapped, pointing at her angrily.

"I stood my ground." Erza said stubbornly. But now, with the anger she had felt dissipating, her frustrations gave way to worry. Akamura Senrei was rich, and influential- although to what degree, she did not know. He could make life difficult for her- maybe even stop her career entirely.

"Stood your ground!" Kateyama snorted, now working himself up into a proper fit of rage. "Oh, you stood your ground all right- and then it opened up under your feet!"

"That doesn't make sense-"

"Shut up!" He snapped. His cheeks were reddening, and he was breathing heavily. "You humiliated a nobleman in front of all these children, and now..." He rubbed his temples. "Do you have _any idea_ what this could mean?"

"I could lose my job," Erza said cautiously, "and-"

"You're always so damn smug," Kateyama sneered, "proud and stubborn, because you're strong. Always looking down on the rest of us, without knowing the first thing about tact, diplomacy or subtlety, and you just..." He trailed off, almost choking on his words.

"You wanted me to give them special treatment. I wouldn't. That was all."

"You think _that_ was all?" Kateyama roared. "Do you think you'll just be fired, that he'll be happy with that? He'll see you executed- and he'll see every teacher on this academy fired! Every last one! We'll be _lucky_ if he decides we shouldn't get a hundred lashes each for this!"

"You can't mean..." Erza mumbled. Surely, he couldn't go that far?

"Don't you see _why_ we have to kowtow to those pathetic nobles? They've got money and power, and we don't. And now, because you decided principle is so _goddamn important_, you've endangered every last one of us! What are you going to do, hero? Protect us all?" He ended, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He took a deep breath again, and poured himself a new drink.  
"Do you think it's easy?" He sneered, pouring himself another drink. "Do you think it's easy, passing incompetents because their father is rich? Ignoring their bullying? Oh, I'm sure you must look down on us all- but you never had to walk a mile in our shoes. Not a single damn step, Erza Scarlet, not a single damn step!"

"I never..." Erza mumbled. But it wasn't wholly true, she knew- she had never understood or approved of the way the teachers gave in, and never thought much of why. It had seemed... cowardly. But bravery was easy for the strong, and difficult for the weak, and this was a kind of enemy she couldn't take her sword to.

"Yes, you did." Kateyama said, with steel in his voice. "And it worked. For a while. They were more afraid of you than of their fathers, those brats. But you took it too far, and now, we all pay for it."

"I never meant..." She mumbled.

"Of course you didn't." Kateyama said, with a despairing look on his face. He buried his face in his hands, and groaned. "You are a good person. You've got a sense of justice. It's just that you haven't got much else going for you. "Look at me- I've been here for over two hundred years, bowing to spoiled brats with rich fathers every step of the way. I'm sure you must think it's pathetic- but I worked myself to the bone to run this school right, till my back nearly broke, because that's why I am here- why this school is here. To guide the young in life. And that meant being practical, knowing when to be strict, knowing when not to..." He groaned again.

"It's not pathetic." Erza said firmly. "You've done what you had to- I see that now."

"It's a little late," Kateyama mumbled. "But it's appreciated, still."

"They couldn't shut down this school, could they? They need shinigami."

"That they do- but they can replace every last member of staff."

"That won't happen."

"Is that so?" The principal murmured. "Good heavens, I need another drink..."

"I won't happen," Erza said, putting her fist over her heart, "because I'm going to take full responsibility."

"What now?" The principal murmured, as he poured another glass.

"Write a statement." She said, nodding eagerly. "I've been an unruly, rebellious character, I haven't worked well with other teachers, and despite complaints I never listened. I'll sign that, you can show it to the courts, or whatever necessary- I'll take it all on myself."

"You stupid damn hero," Kateyama mumbled, downing another drink, "want some?"

"No thanks." Erza said.

"You would sign this?" Kateyama said, sitting down behind his desk. "All on yourself? They could see you executed, you know."

"I don't intend to die like this." Erza said, with conviction. "Write it down right now- make me out as horrible as you can, I don't care. Nobody should be punished for this that didn't have anything to do with it."

"You're certain?"

"You have a school to run, principal." Erza said, smiling. "That's all that matters, isn't it?"

"...I suppose." He murmured. He procured an ink pen from his desk, and a sheet of paper. "Well, let's write then, shall we?"

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Erza missed her class that day. A document was drafted, she had read through it and approved it, and finally put her signature on it. When the time came, at least the school would be safe. She had half expected to be arrested the same day, but oddly enough, the day passed without much else happening. And so did the next, and the one after that. She doubted this would be the last of it, but for the moment, life continued on as usual.  
So it came to be that now, three days later, she was again training late at night with Abarai. He had grown much now, fast, strong- it was a workout training him, one that she welcomed. It had been long since she had even held her zanpakutou, and it was good to remind herself that she was a fighter at heart, if a teacher for the moment.

This particular night, though, Abarai was different. His movements were sluggish, and he made mistakes she hadn't seen him make in months- again, and again. Finally, having smacked him across the head for the third time in a row in an all too simple counterattack, she stopped, stepping back.

"What is it, sensei?" He said irritably, assuming a stance.

"Abarai, sit down." She said firmly.

"What? I'm here to train-"

"Sit down." Her tone was one that accepted no disagreement. Looking confused, Abarai sat down cross-legged, and Erza followed suit.

"What's going on, sensei?"

"You tell me, Abarai," she said, stretching her arms. "you're the one that keeps fighting like a beginner. What's eating you?"

"It's nothing," he said evasively, "just- just stuff. School is hard and all that, you know?"

It was a pitiful excuse, and even Erza could see it was a blatant lie.

"Abarai," she said, looking him in the eye, "I will not force you to tell me what eats at you. However, I will not train a student who lacks the focus and conviction. You showed me that when we first started- so what changed?"

"I..." He mumbled, running a hand over his mouth, looking exasperated, "it's this... thing, all right?"

"A thing," Erza said, nodding, "and what is this thing that has you this upset?"

"I'm not upset!" he snapped.

"I can tell," Erza said dryly.

"It's just..." He sighed, grunted, and leaned back, holding himself up with his arms. "Just... never mind, sensei. It's nothing you need to worry about."

She sighed, and smiled at him reassuringly. "You know, we teach boys to be strong. Girls too, since this is a school for shinigami- but boys especially. But there's one thing they aren't taught at all. You know what that is?"

"Sensei?" Abarai said, sounding confused- and curious.

"What you don't get to learn, what people don't tell you nearly enough, is that even when you're strong, it's okay to be weak. It's okay to tell people how you feel- bottling it all up isn't good for anybody. When you're down... if you have people to rely on, then rely on them instead of trying to do it all on your own. Do you understand?"

He sat quiet for a while. "...I guess." He murmured after a while. There was a look on his face, emotional, uncertain. "Look, I can trust you, right? You're not going to tell nobody?"

"Not a soul." Erza nodded.

"It's stupid, really." He grumbled, looking down at the floor. "I shouldn't be mad. It should be good. I should be happy!"

"But you're not."

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"It's- it's Rukia," he mumbled quietly.

"Did you-"

"I didn't do nothin'!" He said sharply. "It's just... simple. Some bigwig came to see her yesterday." He stopped, hesitating again.

"How big are we talking here?" Erza said curiously.

"Head of the Kuchiki clan" Renji said sullenly. "Wigs don't get much bigger than that."

"...no, they certainly don't. What happened?"

"They wanna adopt Rukia," Abarai said, sighing, "and uh, I should be happy, right? She'll get everything she ever needed. She'll have it made for life. That's good, right?"

"But you don't feel that way," She looked at him, and tried her best to sound understanding, "that's all right, Abarai. I'm going to make a guess- she'll be rich now, she'll be nobility, and you're still a poor kid from the Rukongai. You're afraid you'll lose her. As a friend, or... well, more than that."

He didn't say a thing, but he didn't have to; the looks passing over his face said it all. Hurt, sadness, anger, displayed as clearly as a painting on a canvas.

"That rich fucking _prick_!" He sneered. "I'm going to graduate, I'm going to work my ass off- and I'm going to one-up him!"

"What good would that do?" Erza said bluntly.

"...I dunno," he said, shrugging. "I just... I want to be... I wanna be good enough for her, all right? That's all I want!"

"I don't know Rukia as well as you do," Erza said, cautiously- she was treading on thin ice, she realized- "but she never struck me as the kind of girl who needed her friends to impress her. Do you think she is shallow?"

"Of course not! She- she's the best there is, and..." He trailed off, emotion thick in his voice.

"If she truly is your friend, then no amount of money and status can get between you," Erza said, and made a fist, putting it over her chest, "and if it ever happened that she felt the way you did, then I don't think she'd let that stop her. She's strong. You love her- so show her more respect than that. She's not a prize, she is your friend. If you are good enough for her, it won't be because you are strong or rich, but because you are who you are."  
Or so she guessed, at least- Erza would be the first to admit she didn't really know the first thing about romance. Act like you knew what you were doing, just like day one...

"I... I guess so," Abarai said, stubbornly staring down into the floor. "I just... this... this has me really fucking edgy, like I wanna hop outta my own skin."

"Renji," she said, calling him by his given name, something she only rarely did, "it's okay. It's okay for you to be angry. It's okay for you to be frustrated. It's okay to feel weak. Things will happen the way they happen, and sometimes, we're powerless to help it."

"So what? Do I just roll over, forget this?"

"_However_," Erza said sharply, "we always give our all, no matter what. If you want something to happen, _work for it_. Do you want her to notice you? Then talk to her. You could get rejected- but your friendship will survive. Or you might not, and everything you wanted might come true. Do you want to be powerful, strong? Then don't do it for somebody else. Do it for _yourself_, Renji, to protect your loved ones- not to live up to what you imagine is somebody else's standards. Don't live your life for other people. Live it for yourself, the way you want to."

"...uhm." Renji said, looking stunned. "I uh, I dunno..." He sat quiet for a while, just staring at Erza. She had raised her voice, she realized, let that teacher's mask slip, let her true self shine through.  
"Yeah, maybe," he said, at last, slowly standing up, "yeah, who the fuck knows. I dunno. Maybe you're right. Or maybe I should just try'n find a way to punch that rich git in the nuts some day." He walked slowly towards the door, and Erza felt unsure- had she really helped him, or had she just done more damage?

Then, before going out the door, he turned his head towards her.  
"...thanks, sensei." He mumbled. "That- that was good. Havin' somebody to talk to, it's... uh, it's good. For me. Thanks. I uh, feel much better now. I'll uh, just go... I promise I won't slack next time, okay?"

"Sure thing!" Erza said cheerily. And with that, Renji walked out of the dojo, feeling as overflowing with emotion as only a young man could.

* * *

The next day, between classes, something unexpected happened. She was on her break, and on her way to the teacher's lounge, she passed by the kido classroom. She walked past the door, absent-mindedly noting that it was open, which was unusual- and then, having taken a few steps past it, she realized that she recognized the voice coming from inside the classroom.

She blinked. Could it be? Quickly, she turned around, glancing into the classroom, as discreetly as she could.

"And as you can see from the spirit particle flow, it is not only the added power that transforms the essence of a higher level _hadou_, but the skill of the caster. Each word has a subtle effect on the energy we manipulate, at a molecular level. That is the essence of kido, offensive, defensive or otherwise, bending spirit particles to our will. Understanding this allows us to..."

Erza spaced out, just staring for a bit. The glasses, the short brown hair, the gentle voice... Aizen, her old sensei, back in that classroom- just the way it had been all those years ago. It felt like an eternity, and like yesterday at the same time.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" It was the voice of the regular kido teacher, a woman named Shikumi. She usually had a prim, proper and strict look on her face, the kind that just oozed disdain, but today she looked... pleased.  
"Aizen-taichou paid a visit on a clerical errand, and offered a guest lecture. His knowledge on the minute details of kido workings is amazing- the students are luckier than they know, hearing his words of wisdom."

Erza felt like she spoke solely because she felt the need to praise him, not because Erza was here- the two never had got along that well.  
"Yeah, that's true," Erza nodded. "I uh, I remember when he taught me..."

"Oh yes, he did teach back in your day, didn't he? What was he like?"

"Very... attentive." Erza said. She wasn't looking forward to a conversation about this- but luckily, as if to answer an unsaid prayer, the bell rung, and the students stood up, bowed to Aizen, and walked out.

"It's been a pleasure," he said, watching them leave.

Erza stood there, watching the class flood out, all of them seeming... excited, for once. Theoretical kido wasn't usually an uplifting subjected, even for the talented; to Erza, it had been hell on earth. He had made a difference, it seemed.  
Among the last out was Hinamori, looking like she was about to burst.

"Sensei!" She exclaimed happily, when she saw Erza. "Oh sensei, you should have seen it- it was brilliant! It's just... I had _no idea_ how many things I don't know!"

A strange thing to be excited about, Erza thought, but she nodded and smiled nonetheless.

"There is so much to learn, and... it's like an endless field of knowledge! I could work on kido all my life, and not learn an iota of the sum total of what there is to know about it!"  
She said it like a child who had just found a giant cave full of free candy.

"He taught me too, you know," Erza said, chuckling lightly.

"Oh yes, I heard he used to teach here- wasn't he wonderful?" Hinamori said, with a dreaming look in her eyes. "I don't want to disrespect Shikumi-sensei, but..."

"He's an expert," Erza said, shrugging. "and a decent man, too. He helped me pass when I was clueless."

"Yes- an expert." Momo said, nodding eagerly. "I want to study this- I want to learn all these things, not just one lecture..."

"Maybe that can be arranged one day." It was Aizen's smooth, calm voice, coming from behind her.

"Sensei- taichou!" Momo squealed. "I didn't mean-"

Before she could embarrass herself, or choke, Erza cut in, "She is the top of her class, you know."

"I noticed you took notes. Very energetically, actually. Was I mistaken, or did you break a pen?"

"Two, actually," Momo said, blushing. "I'm- I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt..."

"I do not often see students with such passion for the subtle arts," he said, and smiled, "it is a joy to see. I am not a teacher anymore, but sometimes I miss the privilege of shaping young, impressionable minds. There is no greater joy, I think, than guiding others to success."

"Or kicking them until they manage," Erza said, chuckling lightly.

"Oh, I don't believe I was as harsh as that," Aizen said, smiling at her.

"I was the kind to need some serious motivation," Erza assured him.

"Kicking?" Hinamori mumbled, giving Erza a confused look.

"Scarlet-sensei is making a joke, Hinamori-kun," Aizen said, "she never was very skilled in that particular field, but that is no cause to stop trying. Suffice to say she found kido... challenging."

"Still do," Erza said, shrugging. "I use it sometimes, but... well, I'm more of a brute force kind of person. Not like Hinamori here, she knows what's what."

"So I noticed." Aizen said, and Hinamori looked a little overwhelmed. "Well, I must be going- but I wanted to say: I heard about your trouble with nobility." He looked at her, the smile gone, and continued with a serious tone, "I want you to know you have friends where it counts. Should it come to that, you will get a fair trial."

"...thanks." Erza said. It was not exactly overjoying to be reminded of it, but knowing she had support was good, still.

"Well, I shall be going," he said, turning around. "Good luck, Scarlet- and Hinamori, I look forward to seeing what you can achieve."

Just after he had turned around the corner of the corridor, Hinamori turned to Erza. "Did he really mean that?"

"He's more tactful than me," Erza said ponderously, "but I've never known him to lie, or flatter people. If he says you are talented, then he believes it. I do too, actually," she added.

Looking positively elated, Hinamori hurried away, presumably to the next class, shouting a quick good-bye. Erza smiled. As difficult as it could get, there were people worth fighting for- it was good to be reminded of that.

* * *

With the bustle and stress of teaching, with the duties of a shinigami, even with the threat of a nobleman hanging over her, some things were never altered. Today was such a constant, something that she would never let change if she had any say in it. Here, today, she was off work, walking up a small, elegantly maintained dirt road leading to the Gotei Thirteen's designated graveyard. Well outside the walls it lay, but still not so far you could not reach it by foot without difficulty. Every year, on this day, she would come here, to offer flowers to the tomb stones, to remind herself not of her failure, but that they had been good people, her classmates, and it was only her memory that let anything of them live on still.  
It was a quiet, desolate place, well maintained but mostly deserted. There had not been much left to bury, but stones had been raised still- the Gotei had at least that much respect for its service members. And walking through the gates, taking her time as she strode through the alleyways, she took in the solemn, sad serenity of the place, feeling the smell of flowers, dirt, trees, every step of the way. Inevitably, she came to her destination, because no matter how slow she took it, each step was one foot in front of the other, one step closer.

Thus it was that, for too many years in a row now, she stood before the graves of her fallen comrades. Quietly, she placed a flower before each stone, until there were only three left. Upon those three, she placed a garland on each one. They were more expensive, and much grander, and part of her always felt that it was unfair- but there was no denying it; these three had mattered more to her. She could barely remember the names of the others now, each one fading from her memory each year little by little, but these three had been her friends.

Marisa. Remon. Sensuke.

She felt a tear at the corner of her eyes. She hadn't cried for a long time, hadn't felt the need to- and she didn't feel the need to hold that back, either. But life had moved on, and the sincere sadness in her heart was enough, the feeling of loss, the experience of memory- it was enough to honor who they had been.

"You made it, huh?" It was a tired, raspy voice, mumbled from behind her back.

"Of course," Erza said, her voice quiet, subdued, thick with emotion, "always, no matter what."

"Yeah..." It was Rod, of course, the one and only other person who would come here on this day. "Fuck, I don't know why I keep coming- I hated them all..."

"You're lying, as usual," Erza said, smiling slightly, and turning to face him, "it's easier that way, isn't it?"

"Something like that." He was smoking a cheap cigarette, and looked older- he did each year. Worn, wrinkles forming at the edge of his face, dark rings under his eyes... and still looking like nothing could hold him down.

"Every year. Because you're still a good person."

He laughed joylessly. "It's nice to have at least one person who thinks that about me- even though it's as wrong as wrong gets. We do things, over in the special forces..."

"That would send chills down my spine, right?" Erza shot back teasingly. "I don't think anything would shock me now- but you can't tell me, or you could, but you'd have to kill me?"

"Your sense of humor is dreadful, Scarlet," he said, but there was a small smile on his face, despite his words.

"How have you been doing? I hardly see you these days."

Rod shrugged. "You can joke, but since I joined the special forces, most of what I do _is_ confidential. I can tell you I got ninth seat there by now, and that I'm doing well... well, where I work, you either do well in your missions or you tend to come down with an unfortunate case of death."

"Now whose sense of humor is terrible?" Erza said, feeling glad, despite the scenery around her.

"Still yours. I am a veritable comedic genius- if I didn't love crawling around in the mud, hiding perfectly still for days on end, constantly doing near-death situations and grueling paperwork on top of that _so much_, I'd resign to become a standup comedian."

Erza sniggered. "Before you know it, you'll be personal assistant to the commander herself, for sure."

"Some fat idiot got that spot already, and he's connected. I like it well where I am. So how about you?"

"I'm actually a teacher," Erza said, "for the time being. I'll be going back to soldiery eventually, but right now, I boss kids around until they learn how to wave a stick right.

"_You_?" Rod said, choking with a short burst of laughter. "If there is a god, he has a sense of humor, at least!"

"I'll have you know I am very appreciated by my students," Erza protested.

"And feared."

"And feared," she admitted. "A bit of both works, I find. You wouldn't believe how good it feels to make somebody else find their way. Exhausting, but good."

"Maybe I chose the wrong profession," Rod said, shrugging. "Well, too late now, I suppose." He tossed his cigarette away, and put it out with his sandal. He sighed. "Here we are, in this depressing place..."

"We don't need to be here much longer. We could go to dinner," Erza said, nodding encouragingly.

"Nah- but thanks," He said, taking out another cigarette, "I've got another assignment, starting in an hour. I had to do some serious scheduling to even fit this in. Still... I'll take you up on that dinner some time later."

"Whenever you can, sure," Erza said, nodding, "I don't want to lose contact. Don't be a stranger."

"I feel like I am one already," he said, a bit hopelessly. "Well, I'll see you around- later, Scarlet."

"Good bye, then," Erza said, and watched as he turned around, walking off. No more than ten minutes had he been there- but he had come, and that was what mattered. She wondered how he fared- did he have close friends to rely on in the forces, like she had had, like she still did? Somehow, she wasn't sure.

She stayed for another half hour or so, just taking in the scenery, before turning to walk away, too.

"Sleep well, all of you," she mumbled, as she began her walk back, "you've earned it."

* * *

She left the cemetery feeling sombre, solemn, and more aware of the sun's rays than before, shining down on her.  
But there was more around than sun rays, tweeting birds and trees, she noticed. Only a hundred feet or so within the exit gates, she felt a presence.

"Come out," she said, firmly but not with hostility. Looking embarrassed, a little ashamed even, Hinamori Momo stepped out from behind a tree.

"I'm sorry, sensei," she began, but Erza did not let her ramble, stumble into her own insecurity.

"Should you not be in school?"

"A-actually, I had double classes of kido today, and I am ahead of the curriculum. A lot." She said shyly.

"Well, I hadn't expected you to be the kind to skip class. But what brings you here? On this day?"

She said nothing, looking too intimidated. Erza sighed.

"I'm not angry with you, Hinamori," she said reassuringly, "but you are technically out in the Rukon. This is not, strictly speaking, a safe zone for students. Do you have permission from a teacher?"

"Oh-oh my goodness," Hinamori mumbled, a look of dread on her face, "oh dear- I didn't think- I didn't know. I mean, I haven't been back out here since I first came here, I didn't know-"

"Calm down." Erza said, and extended her hand. "Come here. I'll make sure you won't get in trouble."

Tentatively, as if the touch might burn her hand, Hinamori walked up, and after some hesitation, she took Erza's hand. They locked hands, and Erza made sure not to grab too hard- her student had it hard enough without fractured hand bones.

"Let's go," Erza said, walking forward.

"You're really not mad?" Hinamori mumbled.

"No, I'm not," Erza sighed, "but an explanation would be nice. This was a... personal sort of trip."

"I was... curious," Momo said, hanging her head, "and I saw sensei walking out of the gates, and... I just sort of wanted to know what you were going to do on your day off. S-so I followed you. Oh gosh, that's creepy, isn't it?"

Erza chuckled. "There are a lot of things people could call you, but creepy isn't one of them, Hinamori."

"I didn't realize it would be so long, and... well, before I knew it, I was out here. Then I realized why you'd be going to a cemetery... I didn't mean to snoop, sensei."

"I'm sure you didn't,"

"I really wasn't!" Hinamori said insistently, "it's just that sensei-"

"You can call me Erza out here," Erza said, cutting her off, "right now, I am not a teacher. This is my day off, so no need to mind formality."

"...it's just that, um... _miss Erza_" at this, Erza had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She was adorable, the way she couldn't err enough on the side of caution to be polite, "you always seem so... well, so strong. And kind. I wondered what you were like when you weren't teaching. I guess."

"It is considered improper for teachers to fraternize with students outside of a classroom," Erza noted.

"I-I know," Hinamori said, looking down at her sandals.

"Then again, did it ever seem like I cared what those stuffy people think is 'proper'?"

"Oh," Hinamori said, seeming relieved.

"So, since we're walking here in the sunny weather and all, free from school, why don't you sate your curiosity?"

"Sen- miss Scarlet?"

"You obviously followed because you were curious. So, ask away- ask about everything. Don't hold back a single thing- ask to your heart's content. If it's too sensitive, I'll decline to answer- but otherwise, I'll answer any question you have, as well as I can."  
Why she did this, she didn't know. Somehow, she felt talkative, relaxed, and in an oddly decent mood for such a solemn day.

"It-it's fine," Hinamori mumbled, but she didn't seem quite as shy as usual. "I don't have to..."

"But you can," Erza said firmly, "anything you like."

There was a look on her face, but the seconds passed as they walked, and Hinamori said nothing. Erza shrugged mentally, and walked with her in silence. They had walked for a good few minutes, when she suddenly piped up,  
"It was your friends you visited just now, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Erza said, nodding, "yes, it was."

"Did- did I get in the way?"

Erza looked her in the eye. "I probably wouldn't have been that happy if you had walked in on me placing flowers on their headstones- but you didn't. You're fine."

Hinamori was quiet for a little longer, gathering her courage, before finally daring to say,  
"Is it true? What they say, I mean."

"That depends what 'they' say," Erza mumbled. "I'm sure some people say there was a thousand dead bodies, and I swore vengeance and slayed a thousand hollows that day, before heroically toppling over."

Hinamori actually giggled a little. "They sometimes talk, and... well, a lot of the boys like to imagine things like those. They like big, strong heroes. They like proud, handsome ones like Kuchiki Byakuya, or big, powerful ones like Zaraki Kenpachi. And they seem to like being taught by one, too."

"I'm not a hero," Erza shook her head, "I'm just somebody who tries to do what she thinks is right, sometimes,"

"Some people would say that is heroic."

"...so what else do they say?"

Hinamori shrugged. "A lot of the same things. I don't know- I didn't snoop. It's rude, I think, looking into somebody's personal history. All I know for sure is that something terrible happened, and your friends died."

"Smart girl," Erza nodded affirmatively, "yes, that about sums it up. Do you want to know?"

"If- if miss Scarlet doesn't mind," she said shyly.

"It was a routine patrol. First thing we were supposed to do after graduating as shinigami. Everyone does it, no trouble," Erza took a deep breath, the memories swelling into her mind like a tide, "and... well, we were an anomaly."

"You don't need to push yourself-"

"We were ambushed." Erza said firmly, her grip on Hinamori's hand tightening a little, as she powered through the memory, "a hollow, far stronger than any we were equipped to face, popped up. It picked off half our group before we knew it had happened. We had split up, you see." She took a couple of deep breaths again.  
"It attacked, and there was nothing we could do. The officers escorting us died. My fellow students dies. I _tried_ to fight it, I tried to get them all together, but, but-" she paused, taking in another deep breath, forcing herself calm, "-you see, sometimes you're just powerless. Sometimes there's a bigger fish and there's nothing you can do about it. So I watched them all die, eaten one by one. There was so much blood..." She mumbled the words, as it played through her mind again, the screams, the despair...  
"It was just me left. Rod lived, but he was knocked out. I just barely got enough power to hurt the thing, and it ran away... and then I sat there, in the field, surrounded by blood and bones..."

"S-sensei, my hand," Hinamori whimpered. Erza realized she had been gripping it tighter, much too hard, and as if burnt, she immediately let go, and stopped walking.

"I'm so sorry!" She said, a bit of emotion leaking through in her voice. "That- that was inappropriate, Hinamori. I should have known better."

She smiled at Erza. "It's fine, miss Scarlet. I knew what I was asking about- it's okay to make mistakes."

"It's not fine to let myself hurt other people over it, especially my students," Erza berated herself.

"I'm not your student right now, remember?" Momo said cheerily. "I'm just somebody out walking, in my free time.

"I- that's right," Erza mumbled. "I'm sorry, it was... I lost myself in memory there."

"It would be strange if that sort of thing didn't leave a mark," Hinamori said. "it's a sign you're still a person, isn't it?"

"...yeah." Erza murmured.

"By the way- if I don't call you sensei, then you can call me Momo. Just when we're not at school. It's only fair, right?"

"All right," Erza said, nodding. "When we're not at school."

"Good, then. Let's go then, Erza Scarlet." She smiled, and held out her hand again. Hesitantly, as if afraid she'd break it, Erza took it.

"Sure. Let's go... Momo."

* * *

**As you can all see, Erza has really bonded with her students by now, especially Momo and Renji. I always thought these two should have more of a role to play in cannon, and while Renji gets at least a decent amount, poor Momo is neglected. Well, considering how she is my favorite Bleach character, I cant have any of that!**

**Of course, Erza herself now also has to deal with a problem she has no experience in. Nobility. Fairy tail surprisingly doesn't have any corrupt nobles who abuse their power. Their king is a nice man, and Hisui is very competent, and has the quality's of a good leader. ****With BLEACH though...Well, look at the 46. They may not be "corrupt" per say, but they are incompetent. Not to mention, I find it highly likely in a place like the gotie 13, that a noble would try to use and abuse his power over a matter like this. How will Erza get out of this one? You'll have to just wait and see, in the next chapter!**

**Thanks for reading, and please leave a review.**


	14. Titania Descends

**BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Fairytail is owned by Hiro Mashima. I own nothing.**

**Special thanks to Greatkingrat88 for writing once again.**

**This is more than likely my favorite chapter to date so far, as well as the longest. I love every scene in this chapter, and I pray that you, my readers enjoy it as well.**

* * *

It was almost a full month before it happened, long enough that Erza had almost let herself believe that Akamura Senrei had just been blowing hot air. But some people were inevitably petty enough to never let go of a slight, and nothing bred pettiness like the arrogance and pride of a nobleman. That is why one day, as Erza was headed to one of her classes, her path was blocked by two serious-looking Shinigami, swords at their side, carrying the insignia of second division order officers. The area was fairly secluded, away from where students would gather- undoubtedly, that had been their intention.

"Miss Scarlet," One of them said, hand demonstratively at the hilt of his sword, "you are under arrest." He had a scar just under his eye, and a very cool, cruel glare, the kind that said, '_Try it. Just make my day and try it._' His partner looked even fouler, short, with a stubby nose and a face like he ate lemons for breakfast _every day_, because happiness was for chumps. Somebody, apparently, had tried very hard to intimidate her. That somebody did not know her very well.

"On what charge?" She demanded.

"Assault, harassment, aggravated assault against a minor, attempted murder…" The first one said, digging out a small scroll, rolling it open, "subversion, heresy, spreading of anti-gotei propaganda, loitering, and… well, it's a long list, miss. And if you do anything other than get down on your knees and put your hands on your head, I'm adding resisting arrest to the list, too."

"You don't say." Erza said, nearly balling a fist. There was an urge in her- _smash their faces in!_\- but she resisted it. "You're right, that _is_ a long list."

"Didn't you hear?" The other one snarled. "That's resisting arrest, and that means we can get rough if we want to- so I'd shut my yap if I were you!"

There were quite a few remarks she could think of, smart, snappy little comebacks that would sound cool. "You could try", for one, or "Go ahead, see what happens". She could even give them a short little lecture about what it meant to threaten a single digit ranked terminator. Instead, she looked them in the eye, and said,

"I'd like to see the warrant for my arrest, please."

They looked at her with a curious look, as if she was some sort of mentally challenged ape, stepping in muck without realizing how far in she was getting.

"You what?" The second one began.

"The warrant." Erza said firmly. "According to regulation, no officer holding any numbered rank may be arrested without a warrant, except in the case that the one arresting holds a rank of vice-captain or higher. I see you brought a list of charges- so I'd like to see a warrant."

The two of them looked at each other quizzically. "I don't think you understand, miss," the first guard said, as if explaining something to a child, "You are under arrest. For the last time-"

"Show me the warrant, or I am walking away from here." Said Erza, steely. "I have classes to teach."

"You'll do as you're told, or-" the second one started, but Erza cut him off.

"Or what? If you thought you could take me down, you'd have done it already."

A look of frustration passed their faces, and the situation might have escalated further, if not for one of her students- Kira, she recalled his name was- had walked by.

"Sensei? Is there a problem?" He asked, looking concerned.

"These two men claim to be officers of the law." She said calmly. "I'm glad you stopped by- go get some more students. I think this will make a good lesson in applied law."

Kira snapped a sharp salute, and ran off with a determined look on his face. Just a few minutes later, spent with her having an informal staring contest with the two officers, he came back, with at least a dozen students in tow. There was a bustle, whispers, murmurs, chatter, all sounding concerned and very much excited.

"Students, please," Erza said calmly, and her students went quiet almost immediately, "these gentlemen claim to represent the police agency of the second division. However, they refuse to show a warrant for my arrest, or even proof of their identity as law enforcement. As far as I can tell, these two might as well be impostors attempting to kidnap me."

"This is bloody ridiculous." The first officer sneered, but he looked considerably less sure of himself. "You're only making this worse for yourself-"

"So are you." Erza said coldly, staring at him and letting her reiatsu flare a little. She could read them both well enough; by no means weak, but neither at all threatening- well, as far as she knew.

"What's going on?" One student- whose voice Erza recognized as Momo's- piped up. "Why do they want to arrest sensei?"

"This is disgraceful!" Another student piped up, and Erza recognized it as the voice of a young noblewoman in her class. "My father shall hear of this!"

"Mine, too!" Another chimed in.

"They should just go away! What are they thinking, making a scene like this?" A third said.

"Hey, teach?" Kira said. "Y'know, to me it looks like they're about to attack you. Does it not look like she has no choice but to defend herself?"

"Yeah!" Renji cried, having got to the forefront of the group. "They're a buncha crooks, right? You hear?"

There was a chorus of yeses and other affirmative words, and Renji slammed a fist into his palm. "Self-defense!" He cried. "Self-defense! Self-defense! Self-defense!" Catching on, the entire group started chanting with him. The two officers, Erza noticed, were now visibly sweating. Erza let them keep going for a while, before she raised her hand.

"That's enough, students," she said, a little bit of satisfaction in her voice. "I'm not going to make a scene. But I _won't_ go anywhere without a warrant."

A look of pure rage passed the face of the second officer, and the first one looked only slightly less vexed.

"You!" He snapped at his comrade. "Go get- go get the paperwork. I'll be staying _right here_, keeping an eye on her."

"But-" the second one tried to argue.

"Go!" He snapped.

"Well, stay _right here_," Erza said cheerily, "and I'll be going about my duties. I'm not hard to find."

* * *

Of course, a bit of wit, intimidation and moral support did nothing to stop her, in the end, from being arrested. In the hours she had had left that day, she had pondered what to do- would she run away? Her career would more than likely be ruined now. She might be sent to prison for god knows how long, or even executed. No matter how you looked at it, this might be the end for her place here in the Gotei, and she couldn't help but curse her actions, if only for a moment. But, she knew, she couldn't have done it any differently. In the face of a storm, you could either bend and rise later, or stand and be crushed- but nothing about her had ever learned to bend, ever _wanted_ to bend; it was not the Fairy Tail way. And now, because of it, it could all be over.

Would she run? She was strong now, but there were many, many people stronger still, and she wasn't good at hiding. Desertion equated to treason, and that was a guaranteed execution- how long before the special forces sent a hunting team to kill her? For how long could she go on like that? How many could she kill before they finally got to her, all her dreams unfulfilled? No- just like always, she would not bend, could not bend. She'd face her fate head on, no matter what it was, because not doing so would mean not being Erza, and Erza was keen on, if nothing else, being Erza.

And so, she had been taken in, only two hours later. She had come peacefully, and her hands had been chained, her wrists encased with anti-spiritual minerals, sealing her strength. She had been walked out of the school, for all to see- but she had refused humiliation, kept her head high every step of the way. Her chains were oppressive; the anti-spirit materials made it feel like her entire body was breathing through a thick, damp cloth, but she let nobody see her discomfort. She had been ushered into a small, dank room, lit only by the faint light of a small lantern, where a grim-looking interrogator had come to see her. Before five minutes had passed, he had begun screaming accusations at her, listing crime after crime, urging her, demanding of her that she confess. The process went on for three whole days, she later learned, and she did not receive so much as a drop of water in that time. But even with fatigue and hunger hounding her, she wouldn't say a word, not a single word, to her interrogator, only staring at him with silent contempt. Sometimes he went calm, reasonable, trying to convince her he wanted a good deal for her, that if she confessed she would get a lighter sentence, that really, she was better off bargaining…

But in the face of her silence, it never took him long to return to shouting at her, trying to break her down. His façade was completely unconvincing to Erza- although she had to admire his endurance.

After three days, they seemingly gave up, and Erza was thrown into a small cell, only just large enough to stand in. She was given water, just a small cup of lukewarm, dirty water, and was left to her own devices. Sitting down on the cold, hard floor, she wondered what could become of her, how many people missed her…

And fortunately- or unfortunately- she did not have to wait very long. Before two days had passed, two stern-looking guards took her out of her cell, and led her out of the prison barracks. She was walked to the courts, she was told, and she took every step of the way in chains. Their route went through the Gotei, many parts of which she had once patrolled, and she wondered if this would be the last time she saw it. She was helpless, and, she suspected, she was not going to get a fair trial.

Though every step was stumbled, weakened as she was by the chains, all too soon she stood before the court building, an elaborately designed building at the outskirts of the Gotei. The noble's court, she recalled as she was walked through its gates. Well, that was that…

And so, about five days after her arrest, Erza stood behind a podium, under the gaze of five, stern men in noble, dignified regalia, all carrying the crest of Gotei Law. Sitting behind her to the right, with a legal representative and several clan members carrying his colours, was Akamura Senrei. His son sat next to him- although, Erza noticed, there was none of the victorious glee in his face that she might have expected; the young man's eyes seemed fixed on his feet. Glee was in no short supply on his father's face, however…

And to her left, where she assumed her defense would be, sat nobody at all, the courtroom having given her none. This was what passed for justice?

"All present?" Said the middle judge, the eldest and most elaborately well-dressed of them all. He looked around the courtroom with discerning, judgmental eyes, finally fixing his gaze on Erza, in her now dirty teacher's shihakusho. "Very well. The Gotei Thirteen's court of noble affairs will now hear the case of Erza Scarlet versus Akamura Senrei."

Senrei's representative, a sleazy-looking man with an expensive dress and carefully groomed black hair, stepped up, and begun his oration. For nearly an hour, he described the blackest, most vicious harassment, a bully intent on terrorizing her student, targeting noble students out of a viciously hateful jealousy of their success and status, spinning a tale of a student bravely standing up to her ruthless terror tactics, and being singled out for it…

It was a good, well told lie, told with passion and ardour, one that most anybody could believe just by virtue of the conviction with which it was told. Erza's blood boiled as she heard it; it was so brazenly untrue, so completely uncaring about truth- but, she noticed, the judges looked bored. Was there hope?

"And so, having made her vicious assault on my client, her hatred spilling into action, abusing the strength she should use to righteously smite our enemies-" Said the prosecutor, waving his arms enthusiastically-

"Prosecutor Kunaji," a judge on the right said, "you are regurgitating your story. Get _on_ with it."

"Agreed." The chief judge said. "Present your evidence now. We have heard enough."

"Gladly, your honours!" Said the prosecutor, and went on to recite several witness testimonies- all of them forged, all of them describing stories fitting his oratory perfectly. For nearly an hour more, he presented more and more so-called evidence, witnesses, recordings… and while Erza scowled at the lies, some things went beyond mere lying.

"…and so, after finishing school, the accused went on her very first assignment-"

No. He would not go there, would he? There was no way-

She listened in horror as he described it, the massacre, all her friends dying…

"…and as the record will show, the alleged hollow- which was far too strong to reasonably appear in such a weakly saturated place- was conveniently missing once officials entered the scene. With such bestial strength as the accused has, one has to ask the question- was there really ever a hollow, or was it an excuse to cover up something far… darker?"

Something boiled over in Erza, a primal rage right down from her gut and upwards, reaching her head in seconds. She felt like she would explode. Almost screaming, she exclaimed,

"You lying son of a bitch! How _dare_ you! You- you- I was there, I _saw _it! I saw it slaughter my friends!" A little voice in her head cried to her to stop, that this is what she wanted, but she was too furious to listen. "You wretched, pathetic little man, you have no idea what you're saying! I should snap your-" she finally controlled herself, before the threat was finished.

"As you can see, your honours," said the prosecutor smugly, "her violent tendencies are unrestrained, not even capable of holding back when it should matter most. Given her excessive history of especially brutal hollow hunting, with a clear and evidenced lack of regard for her squadmates, it seems obvious that we are dealing with a dangerous, unstable individual, quite likely psychotic. It is the prosecution's recommendation that, at the very least, she be detained in the Maggot's Nest for all her life."

"Not nearly enough!" Senrei sneered loudly. "Whip her till her skin comes off, and then cut off her head! She deserves no less!"

"You horrible, _horrible_ little man," Erza hissed between her teeth, still seething, "you are crossing a line here, do you understand?"

"There isn't much you can do about it, is there?" Senrei said smugly, gloating unabashedly.

"Silence!" The head judge demanded. "The court will make note of Scarlet's outburst. Very well- the prosecution has spoken. The court will now hear the defense. Erza Scarlet, what have you got to say

Erza swallowed, frustration joining her anger. What could she possibly say? She had no evidence, no defense; nothing she could do to counter. The odds had been carefully and deliberately stacked against her. Though it was hard to admit it, fear rose in her chest to join her rage- she could be killed here, or sent to prison for all eternity- for hundreds, maybe thousands of years… and there was nothing she could think of to prevent it. She gaped, and swallowed, stuttering out some incoherent noises.

"I, ah, ehm, hee…"

"_Speak_, officer scarlet," one of the judges said sternly. "The court will not give you another chance. Make your damn case so we can be done with this."

There was a disgust in his voice, resentment… did he hate her so much? Did they all? Had she nothing now, judged by strangers with nobody to support her? This was nothing like battle- this was the doing of people, of civilized society, and she had no means of fighting back. She felt weak, tired…

"Lies," she said, her words barely a whisper, "he's lying. It's all- it's all lies. He just wouldn't- he wouldn't let me teach- and I, and I-" She trailed off. Despair was just around the corner; she could see its dark and ugly face leering at her.

"Given that officer Scarlet has nothing further to add," said the head judge after a minute or so of silence had passed, "I suggest we move on to judgment."

"An excellent suggestion, your honour!" The prosecutor beamed. "We move that the defendant be sentenced to death, after being tortured publicly."

The judge shot him a look like he had been addressed by a particularly filthy insect, but went on to say,

"The court has head the evidence. We have been presented with a case telling a tale of harassment, abuse, and attempted murder. We see no option but to-"

And then, as Erza hung her head, the strangest thing happened. The judge's voice went silent, and she could her the creaking of a door. Despair flew away, replaced by Hope, however desperate, and Erza turned her head towards the noise.

"I hope you do not mind," a gentle voice came, "but I would like to voice my objection."

Aizen. It was Aizen. And beside him was her captain, Shiba Isshin. Behind them, an entourage of people; noblemen, judging by their gaudy, official clothing. The relief she felt was like no sensation she had ever been through before, flooding over her like rain across a dry field.

"What is the meaning of this?" A judge sneered. "These are private law chambers, and you are _not_ authorized to be here, captain!"

Aizen smiled, and gave them a knowing look. "I would have words with you, your honours, and you would be wise to listen to them. For your own good, if nothing else."

"You had best explain yourself," said the head judge sternly, "and it had best be a good explanation." But, Erza noticed, there was something to his stern, official tone that had changed- as if a little shaken, and uncertain.

"Certainly, your honour," Aizen said, bowing politely. His manners were, as always, impeccable- but there was no doubt he was taking charge. "And may I thank you for having patience with me? I know I came in unannounced- most uncivil of me." He looked around the courtroom, his eyes landing on Akamura Senrei, who squirmed in his seat, looking like he wanted to fire off a barbed remark- but somehow, he seemed unable to.

"Uncivil, indeed," he continued, "just like violating the due process of law severely and repeatedly. I would never accuse anybody of having manipulated the law for their own gain- surely, fine, wise men like yourselves never would. However, it does seem strange to me- I am well-read in the matters of Gotei law, civil, noble and martial, and I was under the impression that the mandatory minimal time for preparing a court is one week, for the sake of gathering evidence, and setting up proper procedure- although, to my understanding, it often runs as long as a month. Am I mistaken, your honours?"

One of the judges shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and grunted,

"You have yet to explain your intrusion, captain."

"Am I?" Aizen said calmly. "Oh yes- dear me, it seems like I have. My most sincere apologyies, gentlemen- I will get right to it."

Every last word he spoke was perfectly calm, kind, civil, but everyone- the judges, Senrei, his prosecutor- looked at him fearfully.

"It is of course possible that I am mistaken about putting a prisoner to trial within five days, but I am positive, on the whole, that any prosecuted officer is entitled to a legal defense, as well as legal counsel prior to the court room. Tell me, was officer Scarlet offered this when she was shoved into second division's interrogation chambers?" His voice sharpened, ever so slightly.

"We have no knowledge of this-" the head judge said uncertainly.

"Of course you wouldn't, your honour," Aizen cut him off politely, "you would never be party to a miscarriage of justice. Your moral character is well known among the courts. I am sure you are completely unaware of these developments."

Looking stunned, the judge simply nodded.

"However," Aizen continued, "to the untrained eye, one less familiar with the subtleties of law, this might look like a rigged trial- one that some would even call a sham. Can you imagine that, your honours? Why, I even know some judges- very overzealous, of course- who would call this criminal. Perhaps even put _every last one of you _on trial yourself." His voice sharpened, just for a second, but almost instantly he was back to his calm, understanding self.

"This is outrageous!" The prosecutor snapped, finally working up the courage to speak back. "This is an intentional and malicious attempt at meddling with a clearly justified court-"

"Ah, prosecutor Kunaji," Aizen said, smiling at him. "Why, I haven't seen you since I saw you stand trial for embezzling. I am so glad to see your corruption charges were dropped- I almost feared you would have been disbarred."

"…evidence prevailed." The prosecutor said stiffly, and slumped back in his chair.

"Justice is a wonderful thing." Aizen said, once again turning to the judges. "Your honours, I realize this is most unorthodox- but as officer Scarlet somehow seems to lack representation- a perfectly understandable clerical error, I'm sure- I would request that I be allowed to speak on her behalf."

"…you may." The head judge said, nodding.

"Very kind of you. Now, I believe my colleague has something to say on the matter?" He pointed at Isshin, who stepped up.

"Right." Isshin said, and his brows were furrowed into a deep, furious scowl. "Now, I ain't prim and proper like Aizen here is, so I'll just speak plainly. You lot are either in Senrei's pocket, or he made you do this, and either way I have half a mind to beat you all half to death." The head judge looked as if he would object, but the look on Isshin's face kept him silent. "I have a word or two to say to every last one of you, and you'll listen!"

As Isshin launched into a long, angry tirade, berating all of them- the judges, the Akamura clan, the prosecutor- Aizen calmly walked up to Erza, and led her to a table by the defense benches, where the both of them sat down.

"Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you so much."

"We did not sit idle," Aizen said, smiling the same calm smile. "Your students made quite a fuss, and word reached my ears that you had angered somebody rich and important. I've seen it happen before, and I never much liked it. It was my pleasure to help. I am sorry I could not do anything sooner- the bureaucracy was quite tiresome to go through, and I had to move carefully."

"You're here now." Erza said, and smiled at him. "That's enough."

"I think so, yes," he said, sounding confident, "but let's hear Captain Shiba out for a little. This ought to be amusing- the man is very… forthright."

'Forthright' was one way of putting it. He was chewing the whole courtroom out, with a wrathful passion Erza hadn't ever seen in him before.

"-and you," Isshin sneered at the prosecutor, "you're a low-life criminal who cheated the justice system, and now you work for this piece of trash. Have you no shame?"

"That's enough!" Senrei shot back. "This- this _woman_, this bitch of a woman publicly humiliated me! In front of everybody! Do you think such an affront could stand? Your idiocy is well known, Shiba, but have you no concept of honour as well?"

"That's because you're a rat prick with your head up your arse, and an ego bigger than this courthouse," Isshin sneered back, "and if you had spent some time slapping some sense into your boy instead of teaching him the sun shines out his ass, she wouldn't have needed to put him down. You got what you had coming, you little shit."

"Now listen just a minute-" Senrei began, red in the face with anger, but he was interrupted- this time by the nobles who had accompanied Aizen and Isshin into the courtroom. One by one, in disorderly fashion, they stood up and started talking over each other.

"This is outrageous!" One of them, in blue robes, declared. 'Outrageous', Erza noticed, was a popular word in these circles. "She made a man out of my boy! I sent him to the academy to toughen up, and by Jove, he toughened up! He went from being a scrawny little wimp to a strong, young lad, and it's all because she wouldn't accept nothing but the best! I always said swordfighting is the noblest of arts, and she taught him well! Why, just last month he bested me in a spar!"

"My daughter looks up to her!" Another man, old and wearing white and yellow, proclaimed. "I could barely get a word out of her before- no respect! But these days, I can actually have a conversation with her! Do you have _any_ idea what a miracle that is?"

"Hear, hear!" A third one said. "My son has the biggest crush on her, and I can see why! I even hear she gives extra lessons to needing students!"

That last one was a little bit awkward, as she knew what student that man was the father of- but nevertheless, it was appreciated, this strange show of support.

"You better let it go, Akamura," Isshin said, looking at him with steel in his eyes, "or it'll come back to bite you."

"I'm _never_ giving up." Senrei spat. "I will have retribution! I will not allow my name to be spat upon like this! I-"

"Then how about this?" Isshin shot back. "I'm officially taking her under my protection. What she's done, whatever it counts for, is a Shiba matter now."

Senrei went quiet for a while. "…you wouldn't. For _this_ woman?!"

"Damn right I would." Isshin said stubbornly. "And I don't know law that well, but I do know that means I can invoke the right of trial by combat. A really old rule, but I like it. Go on- name a time and a place, and I'll kick your ass. Or whatever champion you choose. _Go on_."

Senrei went quiet, rage apparent in his face.

"I don't like to invoke this," Isshin said, crossing his arms across his chest, "but we're bigger and more important than you. _Drop it_, or I'll set your house back to the dark ages."

"That is," Aizen spoke up, "if we decide not to just sue you for everything you own. I am sure these fine judges would gladly stand testimony for how you forced them to violate the law."

The judges looked eager, whispering between themselves, and Erza got a feeling they weren't very loyal to Senrei.

Looking defeated, the same anger and frustration flowing through him that Erza had felt just minutes earlier, Senrei stood up.

"Come on," he sneered at his son, "we're leaving."

"Am I to take this as you withdrawing all charges?" Aizen said innocently. Senrei did not reply.

"Because if you do not say the words," Aizen continued, "the case cannot be dismissed."

"Admit defeat." Isshin said, putting a hand on his sword, "do it, if you know what's good for you."

With a look on his face like he had been forced to suck on a lemon, Senrei turned to the judges.

"…I, Akamura Senrei," he began, forcing every last word out slowly, "would like to excuse myself from this case. I will seek no retribution."

"The court hears your request, and approves," the head judge said, sounding relieved. "Officer Erza Scarlet no longer stands accused. This court is finished, by virtue of my authority as senior judge of the noble court of the Gotei Thirteen!"

Erza felt like she was soaring upwards on a cloud, true relief washing through her mind and body. The nightmare was over.

"Never forget that you have friends," Aizen said, as the two of them stood up, "in places high and low. You may not be a captain yet, but you'd be surprised how many hear the name of Erza Scarlet and think of it with respect."

"I never felt this weak…" Erza mumbled. Aizen took off her cuffs, and the rush of spiritual energy made her feel light-headed.

"There is no shame in weakness- nobody is strong all of the time." He said reassuringly. "Now, how about we go get some tea? I'll have some business to wrap up, but it should not take long."

Erza could only nod weakly.

* * *

In the most strangely simple, life returned to normal. After some paperwork, Erza was released, and the very next day she was back at school. The students had cheered for her when she got back to class, every pair of eyes turned her way- except, that is, the Akamura boy, who was strangely absent. Taking in their cheers, Erza had smiled, and her doubts in herself as a teacher had lessened somewhat. Not being one to laze around, Erza had kicked her classes back into overdrive- it was nearly a week's worth of missed classes she had to make up for. And though cheers turned to groans soon enough, she was back to normal.

Normal included her nightly spars with Renji, too. He had grown, both in spirit and in body- he was all muscle now, reaping the benefits of good food and hard training, and he had gotten faster and stronger for it- and more skilled from her training of course. Sparring was a strange thing; it could be one of the most intimate way of knowing somebody. Every movement familiar, every attack predictable… and the same was true for him. Soon, he'd have to seek new partners, or his form would go stale. She wouldn't have counted herself among his closest friends, but in this one way, she knew him better than anybody, and he knew her better than most.

This, of course, meant that whenever something was off, even by a small margin, it was screamingly obvious when it was. So it was that now, this night, fully two weeks after her legal ordeal, she broke off the spar midways. The both of them were breathing heavily, the sweat on their bodies glistening in the moonlight.

"What?" Renji said, motioning for her to attack again. "Come on, sensei- we got time, don't we?"

"Your arms are stiff, and your strikes are too rigid, and too fast. You leave yourself open to easy counter-attacks, and that's something I haven't seen you do in months now. Something troubles you."

It was not a question, just a simple statement, leaving no room for disagreement.

"What? No, I'm fine," Renji said irritably.

Not that Renji let that stop him from trying, though.

Erza frowned. "Renji, either sit down and talk to me, or go to sleep." Demonstratively, she sat down cross-legged.

"I just- god damn it, how do you know?"

"Call it a woman's intuition. Or maybe just me having eyes in my skull, whichever suits you best."

"I just- I'd rather fight…" Renji mumbled.

"I'd rather not." Erza said firmly. "In this state, neither of us learn anything. Either let me know what troubles you, or leave and come back when you're not troubled."

Reluctantly, a strange look on his face, Renji sat down. "Thing is, I'm… pretty troubled, I guess. A lot." He looked her in the eye. "Sensei, I don't want to lose these fights, too- I need 'em, especially now…"

"Then speak." She was being hard on him, she realized- she could never really tell if she was too rough, until it was too late. But she was a teacher, and she had to do _something_, even if it meant gambling.

"I…" Renji paused, and took a deep breath, followed by several more. It could have been from the exertion of fighting for an hour straight, but Erza doubted it. He was gathering his courage.

"So this is one of those things… that I wouldn't really tell anyone, all right? 'Cause really, I'd rather forget it."

"Whatever it is, don't let it fester." Erza said. Already now, she was beginning to suspect.

"You don't tell nobody, right? I mean, not that I don't trust you, but…"

"I understand." Erza said, and nodded. "It's important. Nothing you say will leave this room."

Renji sighed, and put a hand over his face. "It's Rukia, all right?"

Of course it was.

"What about her?" She knew now, of course, but he needed to say it.

"I… told her." He mumbled, each word sounding like so much agony. "The other day. I worked up the guts to do it, and then I rambled at her like a stuttering idiot for like five minutes… I had a whole speech worked out, and it sorta… broke." He took another deep breath, turning his eyes up and away from her, staring into the roof. "I think she got the point about halfway through. She tried to say somethin' back, but I was just trying to, I dunno, talk her into it… it was really dumb. In the end, she shouted at me to pipe down. And then…"

He trailed off, and judging by his ragged breathing, he wasn't far from tears.

"She doesn't feel the same way." Erza said, putting words to what Renji couldn't. In the darkness, she could see him nodding.

And this time, it was Erza's turn to sigh.

"I'm sorry." She said flatly. "I wish I could help you with this, I really do. Thing is… I don't know the first thing about this. About… love. Feeling that kind of ache. I guess I could say it'll get better?" This was awkward, no doubt about it, but she had sprung this open.

"People fall in and out of love all the time. And it hurts now, but I know for a fact people get over it."

"…'snot just that." Renji mumbled, and a heavy breath turned almost into a sob. "She's- she's angry with me, an' I think- I think I ruined everything, sensei." His voice trembled, and he had that quick, forceful breath to him of somebody trying not to weep. He stood up, and turned around. "I'll- I'll just go, sensei. I'm sorry I…" He started walking away, as fast as his feet could carry him.

But before he had reached the door, Erza had caught him by the arm.

"What?" He sobbed out, turning to face her. Erza only looked at him, and pulled him into a tight hug.

"It'll be fine." She whispered, holding him tightly. "It'll be fine, I promise."

"But- but she-" Renji whispered, his voice breaking.

"I'm going to talk to her. You listen carefully, Renji- she's your best friend. She's been with you all this time. Friends like that _don't_ give up on you just because of something like this. That kind of bond is way stronger than that!"

Renji, finally breaking down, said nothing as he finally broke into tears, his shoulders shaking as he leaned on Erza.

* * *

The next day, before classes had started, Erza took the time to seek out Kuchiki Rukia. She was in Renji's class, she knew, and he would have history in twenty minutes or so. After stalking the area around the history classroom for a few minutes, she saw Rukia- a dedicated student, she had come in in good time before the lesson started. She didn't know that much about her- she knew that compared to Renji, she was a fairly mediocre student, with no exceptional talent with a blade. Whether she was a good person or not, whether shallow or deep, cold or kind, she had no clue. Not that she needed to- and she would find out soon enough.

She looked around, and the place was mostly empty- few people cared to be up early in the morning; most students arrived only when they had to. Which was just as well; she knew many of the staff would frown on a teacher intervening on personal matters. And strictly speaking, she _shouldn't_\- it was unprofessional. But Renji… he had become more than a student. She had taken him in, taught him as much as she could in this short time, and she had come to think of him just like she would one of her own guild members- him, and Momo. It was not entirely appropriate- but the spirit of Fairy Tail still burned inside her, rebellious to the core.

As such, she walked up to Rukia.

"Good morning, Sensei," Rukia said, bowing politely.

"Good morning," Erza said, nodding back. "Would you mind if we spoke for a moment?"

"Sensei?" Rukia said questioningly.

"This way, please." Erza said, opening the door across the history classroom- the kido lecture hall, which wouldn't be used until two hours from now. Looking quizzical, Rukia obliged her.

"What is it, sensei? Is my swordplay underperforming? I was sure I had passed-"

"No, no," Erza reassured her. Her swordplay was quite passable, if not very inspired. "It's, er, another matter."

Rukia remained silent, and Erza found herself wondering how she could really raise this topic without it seeming… off. Before she let her mind race away, anxiety shutting down her ability to reason, she forced herself to speak. This _would _be off, no matter how you cut it.

"I have spoken to Renji," Erza said simply.

"…about what?" Rukia said, sounding suspicious.

"I know he recently confessed his feelings for you. They were rejected."

Well, bluntness was one way to go about it.

"I don't believe that is any business of yours, sensei," Rukia said, sounding offended.

"Mostly, yes," Erza mumbled, "but… well, I am making it my business, I guess."

"I am leaving, sensei," Rukia said, turning towards the door.

"He is broken down, Rukia," Erza said firmly, "in the way only heartbreak can break a man. And that's not something I'd meddle in, but-"

"But what, sensei?!" Rukia snapped. "He comes to me, out of nowhere, saying all these stupid things- and how the hell am I supposed to react to that without hurting him? I can't make myself feel the same."

"I'm not asking you to." Erza said calmly. "But he believes you hate him and never wants to see him again. He believes that your friendship might be over."

Rukia frowned, almost going into a scowl. "That's ridiculous!"

"It's very… dramatic," Erza said, nodding, "but people don't often think very rationally even under normal circumstances- now imagine how he must think in a situation like this."

"…so what, then?" Rukia mumbled.

"Speak to him. It will be difficult, and it will be awkward- but please, let him know where he really stands. Please."

Slowly, Rukia nodded. "I- I suppose that's fair, yes…"

Erza smiled, although it was somewhat forced. "I did not come here to tell you to return his feelings, that you're foolish not to. I'm just trying to keep my students happy, in what ways I can. Friends, Rukia, the bonds you make with them matter more than anything in life. Not everyone shares these ideas, but- as far as I am concerned, money, power, strength, all of that is useless without people to share it with. Renji is your oldest friend- do not let that fracture."

"It won't." Rukia said, giving her a look that Erza wasn't sure if it was angry, relieved, or just weirded out. "I'll… keep this in mind. Really, he's such an idiot sometimes…"

With that, Rukia walked out. Well, she had done what she could now…

* * *

Just like that, the last term had been served, and two whole years of school were over. Her students had passed their first final tests, and now their second ones, too- not one, she had noticed, with enough joy to make her heart soar, had failed her class. Even the worst of them were proficient- she had done it; she'd made a difference in a wholly different field. She was a teacher, not just somebody swinging swords at monsters. She got along with the staff, and even the principal- whose nerves had been quite upset by the Akamura incident- seemed to like her.

Good things, though, are not to last. One day, she was approached by the same principal, just on her way to class- the last class of the year, a formality for the most part.

"Sir?" She said curiously. "I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Just a second of your time, Scarlet," he said gently. "You see… well, it is like so, that…"

"Sir?" She said, again quizzically.

"Shimura Shinpachi suffered serious injuries two years ago, and has since been on the road to recovery- and just last week, he was declared healthy and fit for duty. He has since expressed interest in returning to his duties as teacher." The look he gave her was strange, as if the news were some dreadful malady.

"Oh." Erza said. "Yes,I suppose he… would eventually, yes…"

"You have, er, of course done a marvelous job," the principal assured her, "a tad unorthodox, but you are well liked by your students, and there is no denying your results, er, but ah, Shimura has a seniority of fifteen years, and er,"

"No, no, it's all right," she mumbled. She felt odd, very, very odd- of course it had to end eventually; she hadn't even _wanted_ this job to begin with, it was strange it had even lasted as long as it did… but somehow, the thought of not returning next year, not seeing Momo develop any further, not sparring with Renji every other night, not helping all of them grow, made her feel… a bit hollow inside. Teaching had grown on her, like a weed, infesting her very being, and losing it out of nowhere was …strange. Unpleasant.

It had to happen, she knew. It's not like she wanted to stay forever, because she had things to do with her life, things that were much bigger than just being a teacher. But… her students, what would become of them? Would Shimura treat them as well as she had?

Well, what right did she have to doubt him? He had taught her, her entire class…

All these thoughts blurred through her head, and she hadn't realized how lost in thought she was until the principal called out to her.

"Er, miss Scarlet?" He said, sounding nervous. "Are you, er, all right?"

"I'm just fine." Erza said sharply, snapping back to reality. "I'm glad Shimura-sensei will be returning. He is a far better teacher than I am- more experienced. And less of a headache too, I'm sure."

"Come now," The principal said, smiling slightly, "sometimes, we could all do with a headache. It reminds you that you're alive."

Erza smiled back. "I suppose so, principal. But you'll be much happier without one, won't you?"

"Maybe," he admitted, "but life won't be as interesting- and your students will miss you to be sure. Head on to your class- you should let them know. You will be free from all duties from after tonight until you reassign to your squad- you've earned that small vacation, I think."

"Thank you, principal," Erza said, nodding. With this revelation at heart, she headed to class.

Class, just this final day of school, was all her students, in every different class, gathered together at once, to hear what final words she had to say. She wasn't one for preparing speeches; she had meant to speak from her heart- and she still did, although it was somewhat shaken now.

She walked into the classroom, her dojo packed tight with heads, all eyes on her- just like it had been when she first walked in, so long ago now. And now, she was filled with confidence, with happiness and affection- and regret that it had to end. Who would have thought? It was strange, the way things turned out…

"Good morning, students!" She almost roared, standing tall, her arms crossed over her chest, a vicious- but, her students would know by now, not actually that serious- expression on her face.

As one, with the overwhelming strength of well over a hundred voices, they cried,

"Good morning, sensei!"

Erza allowed herself to smile, openly and contentedly. She usually put up a harsh front for her students, but there was no need for that anymore.

"The year is over." She began, slowly pacing back and forth before her students, like a drill sergeant overlooking her troops, "and you've come a long way. I promised to teach you the way of the sword. Have I failed you?" When they did not reply right away, she repeated, "I said, _have I failed you?"_

As one, her students let out a resounding,

"NO, SENSEI!"

Erza nodded approvingly. There was no more need for theatrics, no more need for that pretend play of strict authority. It was time to be herself entirely to them all, this one time. She stopped pacing, and put her arms at her side, looking out over her students. Again she spoke, softer- yet still loud enough for all to hear.

"I've done my best. And I don't like to brag, but I think it was enough. I'll be honest- when I first walked in here, I terrified all of you, but I was every bit as terrified of myself. I was afraid I'd let all of you down. That, since I had no training as a teacher, everything that could go wrong, would go wrong. I was afraid, very afraid." She watched over the sea of heads, most of them looking confused at her honest confession. She could see Momo smiling at her, and Renji grinning confidently.

"You proved me wrong," she continued. "You are good, strong students, and I have no doubt you will become good, strong shinigami, all of you. I feel… hopeful, for the future of the Gotei. You will pass the rest of your years without trouble; of this, I have no doubts. But…" she paused, taking a deep breath, "you will do so without me."

There was a roar of upset voices, protests, angry cries- she couldn't leave now, they needed her, what would they do without her…

And Erza smiled again, a solemn, bittersweet smile of joy. She had started this journey by making them fear her, and now, as it ended, they were just… loyal. It moved her, deep inside, in ways she was not prepared to show openly.

"SILENCE!" she bellowed, after letting them protest for a minute or so. Almost instantly, the hall went quiet again. Momo stepped up, though, a hurt look on her face.

"What do you mean, sensei?" She said, her voice one of disbelief.

"I came here as a replacement of Shimura Shinpachi. He was badly injured, but has since recovered. He is a far more experienced teacher than I. Me, I will go back to my squad. I will miss you, but I have no choice in this matter. Study hard, prosper, and become shinigami, all of you!"

More protests came, not so loud or manifold this time, but still they were there- it was ridiculous, this wouldn't stand, they couldn't just throw her out, _my father will hear of this_…

Some people never changed.

"Silence!" She cried again, and they went quiet. "This is out of my hands- I can't stay, even if I wanted to. And… I do, actually. But times change, and either we change with them or we get left behind. Talk to the principal if you must, but come next term, I will not be here. I'm sorry. This has been… a wonderful time, more than I ever could have thought. It was my honor to teach you what I knew. I… I'll miss all of you. You'll do fantastic, so…"

She couldn't continue; she felt herself choking up. All things good had to end someday, but this was not a bad ending. It was the best ending she could have imagined, enough to move her like she hadn't been moved in many years. Not wanting her students to see her cry, she managed to croak,

"You'll do amazing, all of you, I know it. Be good to Shimura-sensei, and…"

She rushed out the door, a tear falling from her eye just as she closed the door behind her. Damn… these students, these little people, how could they reach so far inside her without her even noticing?

She stood out in the hallway, having gone just around the corner, her shoulders shaking just a little as tears fell down her cheeks. She felt such joy, so much more than she had ever felt since she had gotten into this afterlife. It was magnificent.

"Sensei?"

The voice behind her was Hinamori Momo. Of course it would be; who else, of all people, would follow her?

"Momo," she said, her voice messy and garbled, failing to conceal her tears, "just- just go back to the classroom. You got-" she hiccupped, taking a quick, short breath- "you got a whole vacation ahead of you. You should be with, be with your-"

She felt Momo's arms around her waist, from behind.

"It's okay, sensei," she sniffled, "I'm crying too."

Erza took her hand, and stood there for just a few minutes, letting her emotions run free.

* * *

That same evening, when all were out celebrating the end of the semester, Erza went out among the festivities. She had wiped her tears- they had gone soon enough; she wouldn't trade those feelings for anything, but on the other hand she most decidedly was not the crying type- and decided to put on a festival kimono, and go enjoy herself among the teachers and students. She had only days left before her formal dismissal, and it wouldn't do to let her experience here end in tears.

Out on the school grounds, there were all sorts of festivities- barbecues, liquor, entertainers of all kinds; fire-breathers, jugglers, stalls with snacks, little games… rich students could be obnoxious, but there _were_ advantages, like generous donations to the school's party budgets.

So she enjoyed herself, took part in the festivities, and once she had had her fill of good food, games, and just a little bit of good, strong drink, she sat herself down on a rock near the outskirts of the event, just to look at the night sky and reflect.

She wouldn't go undisturbed for long, though. Soon, Momo and Renji had found her, several other students in tow, including Kira and Hisagi. Not one to shirk words, Renji walked up to her, an angry look on his face.

"So is that it, then?" He said accusatorily. "You just- you're just going to leave?"

Erza smiled, looked him in the eye, and said,

"Sit down, Renji."

"How can you expect me to-"

"I said, SIT DOWN." She said firmly, slamming a fist into his gut. Renji doubled over, and fell on his ass. Recomposing himself, he sat up.

"Just- just like old times, huh?" He said, gasping for air.

"Yes… old times." Erza mumbled, smiling happily.

"Look, we aren't all stupid like Renji," Kira said, stepping up with a curt bow, "but… isn't there anything that can be done? We do miss you."

"Damn right!" Hisagi said, nodding eagerly.

Momo just looked at her, and smiled back.

"But, sensei…" Renji groaned, rubbing his stomach.

"Listen, Renji," Erza said, grabbing hold of his hair, forcing him to look her in the eye, "I'm not going to let you act like this is some tragedy. Shimura-sensei had this job before me, and I've got no right to steal it from him. Life's full of disappointments, and if you get angry about each one, you'll never feel happy. And we," she said, glancing back to Momo also, "we're not through by any means. I won't be able to do it as often- but when I'm off duty, and you got a moment, I expect you to be ready for a right and proper, hard and gritty spar. I'll make every bone and muscle in your body ache like there's no tomorrow, is that understood? And I expect you to be happy it happens at all, instead of whining that it doesn't happen more often, is that understood?"

She spoke strictly, very strictly, but she knew that he knew that she wasn't half as serious as she sounded.

"Yes, sensei!" Renji cried emphatically.

"Good boy," She said, nodding and letting go of his hair. She stood up, facing all four of them. "Listen, you lot- it's inappropriate for a teacher to befriend a student. Downright wrong, no good teacher would do it."

Hisagi looked like he might snicker, Kira gave a little smirk, Momo just smiled, and Renji got to his feet, still looking a bit surly.

"But," she continued resolutely, "four years from now, when all of you graduate and make officer _right out of the gate_, you'll have a friend waiting for you. By then, I'll be even higher up- and I expect all of you to catch up. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sensei!" They all cried in chorus.

"I'm an officer- damn well salute!" Erza snapped, but she couldn't stop herself from snickering as she said it. As one, they all saluted.

"Good then, troops! Now move out, and have fun until you pass out- that's an _order_!"

"Yes, sensei!" They all said, in chorus, saluting again. And as they walked off into the night, Erza's smile was broader than ever. To be proud of your own ability was one thing, but it was a special feeling, being proud of others.

And in the dark, at the outskirts of the festivities, she could see Akamura Jinto walking past her. He locked eyes with her, gave her a foul look- and then bowed to her.

Some people never changed. But sometimes, on the oddest of circumstances…

* * *

Vacation passed in a blur. Three weeks she had to herself, before she would be reassigned- it was said to be bureaucracy, but she suspected her captain was either lazing off, or deliberately giving her some time to herself. Which wasn't so bad- she visited the Rukon, went on trips with Lisanna to the world of the living and elsewhere, trained with her sword, meditated, had sweets, or just slept in a little, enjoying the small luxuries of everyday life.

Inactivity was something she hadn't had in a long time, though, and towards the end she found herself itching to grip her sword again, and in the last few days she found herself itching for the feeling of her zanpakutou strapped to her waist again. So it was that she was pacing somewhat restlessly, at the last two days of her vacation, her mind occupied elsewhere. Not just by restlessness, though- she had spent some of her time giving extra sword-fighting lessons to the students who wanted it when they had time off, and she had learned something she couldn't quite let go of. Momo, Renji, Kira, Hisagi, they were all at the top of their class- and that placed them at the advanced class, the top students selected for elite duties. It was a great thing, of course, but… it meant that after two years, they could go out on patrol in the world of the living, under supervision, to learn the practical duties of a shinigami.

They were going to do just that tomorrow. It was paranoia, she told herself, that she would be afraid for them. They would be looked after by competent officers.

_Just like she had been._

There would be little to no chance that any hollow of significant strength could materialize.

_Just like it had been, back then_.

They would be just fine.

_Just like she should have been_.

She had tried to shake off her fears. They were silly, irrational, stupid… what were the odds, really, that such a one-in-a-million thing would happen again?

But emotions were not rational, and neither was trauma, and try as she might, Erza couldn't forget, couldn't convince herself that everything would be fine. The next day, she met the class as they departed, giving them a wave goodbye, wishing all of them well. Momo had smiled at her, Renji had shot his cocky grin, and off they went…

Determined to refuse being this silly, Erza went off to have some tea and a bun, to just relax herself, let them go out there, learn to walk… she couldn't protect everyone all the time, could she? You had to let people stand on their own legs. She was being very, very silly, she decided.

It wasn't until she had gotten to her second cup of tea that she realized that she had Tetsu no Tama strapped to her waist, her thumb running up and down its hilt.

And at once, she stood up, marching furiously towards the school's monitoring headquarters. Every trip was monitored, she knew that for sure, and she could at least follow their progress. She felt a little guilty, toward herself for not being able to let go of these fears, and towards her students for not being able to let them run free, but it couldn't be helped. Something- most likely Erza herself- compelled her to walk with a purpose. She still wasn't on duty, she still wasn't in uniform- she wore a white, flowery kimono, one Rangiku had picked out for her, one that she didn't much care for- but she had her sword by her side and anxiety the size of a mountain.

After having asked for some directions, she barged into the control room. It was manned by an aging, thin man, spectacles on his face, looking worn.

"What is the meaning of this?" He mumbled. It probably was his idea of outraged, but it sounded a good bit too unenergetic to qualify.

"I need to see the data feed from the class out on practice assignment in the world of the living." She said bluntly.

"Who are you?" He protested, glaring at her from underneath his bushy eyebrows. "What authority do you have? Who gave you access?"

"Do it, or I'll thump you across the face until you do!" She snapped. She hoped she wouldn't have to, but her uneasiness was rising inside her, like an oppressive wall of gloom and doom. She _needed_ to know they were all right.

The intimidation seemed to work, as the old man went over to a control panel, pressing buttons, entering codes, while murmuring angrily.

"Young people these days," he muttered, as a video screen flickered to life, "no respect at all!"

Erza had never learned to read code; there were courses for things like that, engineering, data operation and so forth, but it had never occurred to her that she would need it. Frustrated, she stared at the screen as green numbers and lines danced across it, as mysterious as a pack of faeries.

"What is this?" She mumbled. "Is this- is this normal? Is everything as it should be?"

"Yes, yes," the old man said grumpily, reading the numbers as they went across the screen, "everything is fine, you see? The released spiritual emissions are all normal- here, this curve shows you the reiatsu of the young'ns, and here's their teachers, 'n here's the ones of a couple of hollows what they slain…" He pointed back and forth, to different emitting curves, as if reading them was the most natural thing in the world.

"So everything is fine, then?" Erza said, relief washing over her. Her heart was racing, pounding hard; she hadn't realized it until now.

"Yes, yes…" the old man murmured.

"Then… if it's all the same to you, I'll stay here until you return," she said, breathing out. She really had been foolish…

"Nothing I can do to stop you," grumbled the old man, "but I'll be filin' a report to your superior, y'hear? Kids these days-" he stopped himself, frowned, and looked at the screen. "That's strange."

"What is?" Erza said, snapping to alert at once.

"I'm getting' some anomalous readings. Way off the expected charts… hang on, the ruddy thing's probably just malfunctioning." He banged at the machine, and the screen too. "Sometimes you just got to give it a proper smackin'- no, wait…"

The curves were spiking, and even Erza could see it was different now.

"That's no malfunction…" The old man said.

"What IS it?" Erza demanded, urgency all in her voice.

"…hollows. Big ones," the old man murmured. "Huge…"

Everything went cold for Erza, that sinking feeling in her stomach making itself known. With the urgency of a woman with everything to lose, she grabbed hold of the man's shoulders, and stared him in the eyes.

"How fast can you open a portal out there?" She demanded, her voice cold as ice.

"I-I can," the old man said, squirming under her grip, "but you don't got authorization- let go of me, I need to send out an alert! We'll get senior officers on this-"

"It will be too late!" Erza growled. "I will head out to the designated portal area, and if there isn't a gate waiting for me there, I'll get back here and skewer you like a pig, you hear me?!"

It was an idle threat; even in a state like this, she would not make a murderer of herself. But the old man didn't know that…

"All right, all right," he whined. "Keep your knickers on, girl. Young people these days…"

Erza had already let go of him, racing towards the gate.

* * *

It had gone so well. Momo had walked the streets of this living-world city, whose name escaped her. She had, for the first time, seen the world they were fighting to defend. She had learned so much, how to dispatch souls… Hisagi had tried to send one on its way, failed as he pushed too hard, and taken much verbal abuse from the spirit. She had giggled. She had watched Renji beat down a small hollow quite easily. She had even gotten to block an attack for herself, sending one back with a well-placed kido before Kira finished it off. For nearly four hours, everything had gone off without a hitch- exciting, a little scary, and absolutely fascinating.

Then the skies had torn asunder, to reveal a gaping, black hole, from which a gigantic body had spilled out, ugly, big, unwieldy, and terrifying, and it had been followed by dozens more, some nearly as big, some much smaller. Now, she and her fellow students stood on the roof of one of these tall, human buildings, feeling very small. Two boys from another class lay still on the ground, blood seeping out from their bodies as hollows flocked to feed, their ugly, unnatural bodies writhing, chittering, descending without mercy. She could hear the sickening sound of flesh being torn, of bones crunching, and the only small mercy was that their bodies couldn't even be seen under the writhing mass of hollows covering them.

Not that she, or any of her mates, could spend much time looking at it. The two officers in charge just barely held together, jaws clenched and swords out, desperate looks on their faces, as the hollows gathered around them, surrounding them.

"Sensei, what do we do?" Kira asked, sounding desperate. "They are- they're too many!"

"Shut it, you git!" Renji sneered, sword out. "We stand and fight, that's what our _real _sensei would do. Can't run, can't win, but we sure as hell can give 'em a fight, can't we?"

His words seemed to calm the students a little, and Hisagi nodded grimly. "He's right. I'm not keen on dying', but I'm even less keen on dying screaming like a pig, begging for mercy. 'Sides, this is good company."

He was afraid, she could tell, even through his tough, calm, collected words.

"Was this how she felt?" Momo said, mostly to herself. "On that day…"

Despair. Like a big, dark pit for her to sink into forever, it came upon her, the realization that all she was would end here, that all she could accomplish and do in life- have a career, find a sweetheart, live a long and mostly happy life- all that would be for naught. She swallowed. _Be strong._ That's what sensei would want.

The first hollow charged, the bigger ones waiting.

"As one!" Renji snarled. "Momo, slow it down if you can! Hisagi, get my back! Kira, guard Momo!"

He had taken the role of leader so easily, even as his superiors stood there, paralyzed with fear. Snapping out of her fear, Momo stared determinedly at the hollow. Against all odds, stay firm, stay strong, face your fate…

"Art of binding number sixty-three: Sajo Sabaku!" She cried. This was well out of her competence zone; a high level spell like that, fired off by a student without even an incantation…

But it needed only succeed partly. And it did- incomplete, weak, the chains of glowing gold wrapped around the hollow, surprising it. Its flying descent became a fall, and with a snarl, Renji leapt forward, flanked by Hisagi, impaling it mid-air. Striking with all effort he could, Hisagi let his sword bite into the creature's mask- and it cracked, gloriously, and the hollow screamed as it evaporated.

"Good!" Renji spat. "How'd you like that, you piece of shit?" He looked around him. "All right, one down!" Quickly, he regrouped with Hisagi.

One down, and a dozen more left, towering over them. Looking amused, the biggest hollow took a step forward, and Momo realized he was the one thing that had been holding the others back. It licked its teeth, and let out a low, evil grumble, that Momo realized was laughter.

_Stay firm. Stay strong. Stay firm. Stay strong._

She repeated the words, over and over, in her head- but the fear was rising in her chest, overwhelming. This was it. The beast would charge, and it would kill them all, and she'd die screaming and in pain-

And somewhere, at the edge of her mind, just outside the fear in that mad little spot of her mind that still believed, still believed she might live through this, that little part that leaves you last because if it isn't there, you might as well lie down and die… somewhere, just at the edge of consciousness in that small place, she became aware of a noise. A cry, distant but loud, and strong. She looked up into the sky.

"Look!" Momo cried, pointing her finger.

Far, far up in the sky, descending like a white and red dot, she could her the scream. Like a fury, like some mythical creature composed of primal rage, it screamed and roared, an inhuman sound from the very core of its being, far removed from the conveniences of everyday life, from even the heat and valour of battle, came a scream of rage. This was like nothing Momo had ever heard before. This was primal.

And like a fury, it descended upon the first hollow, viciously cutting off its closest arm, before mashing its sword against its body like it were a club, scoring hit after bloody hit, before finally cracking its mask like an egg. The hollow screamed, and died.

Momo could see now. It was Erza Scarlet, her sensei and friend. Her face was twisted, contorted into an ugly mask of rage and hatred as she bore down on her enemies. In her hand was a sword, a huge, two-handed black sword, with jagged teeth running down its one-sided blade, a nasty-looking weapon to match her anger. She wore a simple, white kimono, stained now deep red with the blood of the hollow she had killed.

Erza was vaguely aware, somewhere, that she was screaming. Her lungs ached with it; she felt her fingers strain in protest against how hard she gripped the hilt of her sword, but she barely felt it. She was seeing red, consumed with an anger she hadn't ever felt since she had died. Every frustration, every last bit of grief, helplessness and trauma that she had ever felt since _that day_, stacked up like a pyre, was lit aflame, and burned and blazed with the roaring strength of a forest fire. _Never again. Never again!_

She screamed the words out loud, in between her roars of fury. Every fiber of her being was awake; every little movement seemed slowed down; every part of her knew what to do next, to kill these monsters as painfully as possible. Every strike she made was poetry, and in synchronization with her, Tetsu no Tama sung the ugly song of war.

"I AM TITANIA!" She roared. "I'LL KILL YOU ALL! I'LL PROTECT MY OWN!"

The first one had gone down in seconds; the two after it had a mercifully quick death, as in one, wide stroke she struck across their masks, shattering them to the tiniest atoms, into dust. Seven more lunged at her, at once, perhaps hoping to overpower her with numbers. If that was their plan, it was brought down in flames as Erza, still screaming at them, charged furiously through them, lashing out wildly, hacking at the hollows, maiming and injuring all comers. None died yet, but that would change- morphing its shape, her blade turned into a huge, bearded axe, and she brought it down with vicious abandon onto the nearest hollow, and leapt on to impale the one behind it. She felt the burning sensation of being stabbed, a hollow claw having got past her guard, but she didn't let it stop her- grabbing on to the offender with one hand, she wielded her axe effortlessly with the other, lashing out in wild, vicious swings, while she slowly choked the other hollow, mercilessly crushing its throat with only her fingers. She struck out with her axe, crushing yet another mask, and as she felt the hollow's throat crush and rip under her grip, she let it go, flailing helplessly as it fell to the ground. Five were dead now, and in a second, she counted the rest- four more. They looked at her, hissed, and reared- but none charged. They were… afraid. One of them, the biggest one remaining, began to open a portal.

_KILL THEM ALL! KILL THEM ALL! NOBODY ESCAPES! KILL THEM ALL!_

Her mind was aflame with anger, with a want to kill- but somewhere, a memory made itself known. Ikkaku…

_"You're a goody two-shoes, a nice caring softie, who kicks ass because it's necessary!"_

_"…maybe you just hit me right now 'cos you know I'm right!"_

And like that, Erza went quiet, holding herself back.

He _wasn't_ right. Maybe he had been once, when she was in a dark place, but not anymore. She fought to protect, not for revenge. _That was who she was._

At once, it struck her. Her students! What if these weren't the only hollows? What if one of them jumped them after all? She saw the last of the hollows disappear, and she glared.

"Yeah, you better run," she mumbled, and let herself descend down towards the rooftop where her students were. Her kimono was ruined, cover in blood, gore and ichor, having splashed all over her. The render sword was a messy weapon, one she hadn't had much opportunity to try before- but it did the kind of brutal damage you needed to deal with a mob.

Momo watched her descend, like a bloodied angel from above, a savior most brutal. She felt tears at the edge of her eyes, feeling something much too big, much too important to be called mere 'relief'. At their darkest hour, she had felt a tinge of hope, and it had come true. They had needed her, and her sensei had come.

"S-sensei," Renji mumbled. "You okay?"

Erza just walked up, and her face, which just a minute ago had been so twisted, had turn somber, soft, the face of the kind teacher they all knew so well.

"Erza," Momo mumbled, "You- you're here…"

Not saying a word, Erza caught her and Renji in a bear hug, holding them close like she was afraid they'd fly away if she didn't. Momo could feel the somewhat nauseating smell of fresh hollow blood, feel it rub off on her own kimono- but against her cheek, where Erza had buried her head against her shoulder, she felt another kind of wetness. She was crying, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Renji looked a little awkward, shocked still, not sure what to do. Momo wrapped her arms around her teacher, though, feeling safe.

"Thank goodness," Erza whimpered through a sob, "thank goodness, thank goodness! You're all alive- I made it, Momo, I made it! You're safe!" She sobbed, holding them close, refusing to let go.

Hisagi cheered, raising a fist high, letting out a cry of victory, and most of all relief, hope, and the class joined him. From the jaws of death they had been delivered- but it was obvious that their savior didn't care about glory at all. Just holding them, just crying out her relief, her pain, her amazement, the Titania stood there with her students, all of them grouping around her in awed relief.

* * *

**Wow, a lot sure happened didn't it? Thank god that Erza had Aizen's help at her trial, or this story would have had a very sad ending. **

**At this point in time, Erza's power is around that of a vice captians. She's come a long way's since her earlier days in the rukon hasnt she? Of course, what she did just now ruins Aizens plans...Or does it? You cant ever tell with that man. **

**Anyways, this month is the one with my birthday. I have alot of good things to look forawrd two, like more fairytail (last two chapters were AWESOME) and the avangers movie. But, the best present I could really get, is a review. Any Review is welcome, be it full of praise or negativity. **

**Thanks for reading and double thanks if you also leave a review, its greatly appericated. :)**


	15. Interesting Developments

**BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Fairytail is owned by Hiro Mashima. I own nothing.**

**Special thanks to Greatkingrat88 for writing once again.**

**Here we go again, with yet ANOTHER really long chapter. Im very happy that we've gotten this far. On another note, we are only a few chapters away from reaching cannon! Huzzah! I bet it will take us 3 more chapters. 4 MAX. **

**As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please, feel free to leave a review. :)**

* * *

Few things pleased Aizen Sousuke the way a well-executed, complex and carefully considered plan falling into place did. But simple plans were enjoyable, too- you had to eat rice every now and then to remind yourself what made a luxurious sushi so delicious.  
But today, it seemed like a mischievous cat had stolen his dish, fish, rice, soy and all.

It had supposed to be a simply executed plan- call in a hollow attack using his connections in Hueco Mundo, let them instill proper terror in the students of his choosing, and swoop in at the last second like a merciful angel, a saviour of outstanding character and greatness. From there on, he would have the undying loyalty of the students with particular potential, all the better to run the divisions under his control as they advanced through the ranks. There wasn't much that was impressive, a critical voice in his head reminded him, about manipulating impressionable children- but with the obnoxious mask he had to wear every day, to hide his true self, he would take entertainment where he found it. As he had stepped out of the portal, he had watched with some amusement as the first two students died, as the brave, brazen and utterly foolish Abarai had attempted to organize a wholly futile defense…

Then, like a bull in a china shop, another angel had swooped in and promptly stolen his thunder, hacking through the hollows with a berserker's tenacity and rage, slaughtering all that didn't flee, in less than two minutes. If Aizen had let himself feel anything like annoyance at his plans being foiled, however inadvertently, it would soon have been replaced with curiosity- yes, curiosity, and interest. Not everything could be accounted for, he knew; the world was a vast place full of X factors- like Erza Scarlet. As he descended towards the building, Ichimaru in tow, the piece fell in place. Scarlet was incapable of the distanced professionalism of a sincerely competent teacher, and had formed deep attachments to several students. Given her past, paranoia would have caused her to come, despite the unlikeliness of an incident- people, he decided, would be so much easier to control if they weren't always so _irrational_.

But then again, that wouldn't be very entertaining.

Erza was still a crying, sobbing mess, but eventually she composed herself enough to let go of Momo and Renji. It wasn't a very dignified display after what she had just done- but looking cool couldn't have been further from her mind. Renji looked a little awkward, still shocked, Momo just looked… at ease. She wiped her eyes, blew her nose on her shihakusho sleeve, and took deep breaths as she looked over her students. Their faces were a glory to behold, wonder, relief, happiness all around…  
Then she sensed it, another signature approaching fast. It was familiar. She looked up, and saw him- Aizen Sousuke, followed by his vice-captain. He landed, with a serious look on his face.

"S-sir," she mumbled, saluting awkwardly, still feeling shaken to her core.

"There was a distress call. I happened to be the closest, and I departed immediately," he said, sounding almost stern, "but it seems my help was not needed. Thank goodness you got here in time, Scarlet." He smiled warmly, and Erza's heart soared. "You appear to be out of uniform, though."

"Yes,I was off duty, an'," she murmured. "I was just, I had a gut feeling, and'…"

"She kicked their asses!" Renji cheered. "We'd all be dead without her!"

There was a cheer from the other students, affirming his words.

"Not all of you, it seems." Aizen said, pointing to the far end of the building's roof, where the corpse of two students lay, students Erza herself had taught, still in a pool of blood.

"Oh god- I couldn't, I was too late-" Erza started to choke up, breathing raggedly, but Aizen put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"Because of you, no more died." He said warmly. "This is a tragedy, but what you have done here is nothing short of heroic. Because of you, all of these young men and women will go on living, serving the Gotei, having lives to make something of. Without your arrival, who knows how many more would have died? Please, Erza, I urge you-" he leaned in close, looking her in the eyes- "think not of the good you failed to do, but the good you actually did."

"R-right, right," Erza said, nodding weakly.

"I will personally be commending you for valour to your captain," he said firmly. He then turned to the others. "Students, you have been through a terrible ordeal, but I must ask that four of you help carry the bodies of these two back. They deserve a burial, at least. All of you will be coming with me, to report to fourth division for a medical check-up. Understood?"

There was a chorus of affirmatives, and Erza noticed that there was something about him, an ease of confidence and authority, that made him in control of the situation with just a few words. He was a natural born leader.

"That goes for you too, miss Scarlet," Aizen said, looking back at her. "I think you will need a visit to vice-captain Kotetsu's office."

"…yes." Erza mumbled. This would be a hell of a story to tell…

* * *

The next day, after some emergency therapy with Isane, and a good night's sleep, Erza was back on duty. She hadn't so much as finished breakfast before she received a summons, though, a simple note that, in the typical manner of her captain, read:  
'Get your ass over to my office posthaste, Scarlet! Sod patrols and all that crap, we got stuff to talk about! Oh, and Aizen'll be there.'

Crude and to the point, just like he always had been. He was a good man, the kind of man who'd have fit right into Fairy Tail- which, in Erza's book, was a badge of honour if there ever was one. So, after just a simple cup of tea and a few crackers, Erza hurried out. Best not to keep him waiting. She wasn't sure what would come, what he'd say, but hopefully it'd be good- Captain Aizen had promised to vouch for her, after all…

Any concern she might have had about a lecture, a rebuke, any criticism, was quickly swept aside as she stepped into her captain's office. The man was in good spirits, talking excitedly to Aizen himself.

"Like that! And that!" He cheered, jabbing with his fists at some imagined enemies. "Tell me again, Sousuke- how'd my gal do? Kicking ass, stickin' it to 'em…" Enthusiastically, he jabbed at the air some more.

"I only caught the faintest glimpse of the tumult," Aizen said diplomatically, a bemused smile on his face, "but I can assure you she fought with vigour and valour."

"Enough with the big words!" Isshin said cheerily. "Tell me how it really happened!"

"Ask her yourself," Aizen said, pointing to Erza, who had stood awkwardly silent as her captain spoke.

"Scarlet!" He exclaimed. Other men might have been embarrassed, caught in such a moment of boyish cheer, but Shiba Isshin didn't even flinch. He walked up to her, firmly taking his hand in hers, shaking it firmly with both hands. "You did some real good out there- I wish I coulda seen it myself!" he exclaimed, still shaking her hand enthusiastically. "Striking down on a buncha hollows, saving the maiden fair- well, the hapless students, _but_ you can't have everything- you did a real great thing out there, the kind any shinigami should- you're a pride to the whole profession, Scarlet!"

"Th-thanks, sir-" Erza managed, feeling a little overwhelmed, and somewhat dizzy from the very eager handshake. Noticing her discomfort, Aizen said,

"You may want to let go of her hand, Shiba-taichou. It wouldn't do for you to tear it off after she fought so bravely with it."

"Oh. Right." Isshin said, letting go of her hand. Not content just yet, he patted Erza on the back- well, 'patted' in the most understated sense of the word; he nearly knocked the wind out of her with one, two, three blows that might have knocked out lesser shinigami. "Real stellar work- I ain't had so much fun hearing about a subordinate for years now!"

"It- it's nothing, sir," Erza mumbled. "I just uh, had a feeling, and I did whatever any shinigami would have done…"  
It was a lame, generic line, but Erza didn't really feel like saying _I went berserk and then nearly had a mental breakdown_. If only she had been smooth, like Aizen, knowing what to say and when…

"Nothing, my rear!" Isshin exclaimed. "That's the biggest act of heroism I seen since- since- well, since Kaien took a hit for his captain, an' went on to slaughter the adjuchas what did it, with only one arm to use! Now there's a story-"

"An absolutely fascinating tale, I'm sure," Aizen cut in, "but let's stay focused, shall we?"

"Really, sir," Erza mumbled awkwardly, "I just wanted to protect them, and I did. It's not that special- I wouldn't be me if I didn't help my friends."

"Modest, too!" Isshin bellowed. "See this one, Aizen? Knew it when I first laid eyes on her- a real looker, but more importantly, she got as much heart as she got strength of arm!"

Some people would have basked in such praise, felt it well earned, appropriate. Erza just felt uncomfortable- not out of modesty so much as it was… odd. She wasn't used to this at all, and her mind was preoccupied- with the two she couldn't save, with the friends lost so long ago… that she had gotten there in time, in her mind, hadn't been a special or heroic deed- it had just been _necessary_, nothing more or less. If she had failed, she was sure she would have gone mad. Deep down, this praise felt… undeserved.  
As if sensing her discomfort, Aizen cut in,  
"What Shiba-taichou is meaning to get to, although he tarries in his excitement, is that your talents by far outstrip your rank. Notions of heroics aside, you slaughtered three high class Huge Hollows, all known to the Gotei by name as vicious shinigami killers. There will be bounty money coming your way for that- but more importantly, you've demonstrated with all clarity that you are strong and competent enough that you do not belong at a petty ninth seat." Seeing the look on her face, he added, "This is not flattery, Scarlet. It is my assessment as a professional Captain of the Gotei Thirteen that your skill and power is, well, what I just said it was. You may have done as you did solely out of a desire to protect, but whether you are comfortable with the role of a hero or not, fact remains that it is obvious to all that you have grown in strength and skill."

"Damn well seconded!" Isshin cheered.

"…thanks." Erza mumbled. "I just- I guess I just… did my best…"

"Aye, you put your back into it, pushed hard and never stopped, and got stronger over time, just like a man- well, like a _shinigami_ should!" Said Isshin, nodding enthusiastically.

"Which is why I would like to offer you a promotion as third seat of my squad five, effective immediately." Aizen said calmly.

"…what?" Erza mumbled.

"We was talkin' before you came," Isshin said, "stiff bugger that he is, he insisted on talkin' business before we got to the fun stuff- but yeah, I agreed that if you want it, you can transfer right away. Don't get me wrong," he said, waving his hands dismissively, "I don't wanna see ya go, we're real proud of ya- but Aizen here's better at the whole mentoring shtick, and you two got a history. You can go real far under him, and… we all want what's best for you." His last sentence sounded a bit more somber, Erza thought.

"I… I don't know what to say." She mumbled. She'd done a lot of mumbling, she realized.

"Say yes." Aizen said warmly. "You'll get the position you deserve- and I have faith that one day, you will be a captain yourself. You have great potential, and it would be my honour to play a part in cultivating it."

"…can I think about it?" She asked.

"Sure, sure," Isshin said dismissively, "but it's prob'ly best if you make up yer mind before the day's over. Less paperwork, and all that."

Erza swallowed. Why would she hesitate like this? It had always been her intention to advance through the ranks. This… this was perfect, wasn't it? To rise up in rank, to be mentored by her old teacher, one of the people she trusted most? Not a goof like Shiba-taichou, or a monster like Kenpachi- a decent, professional man. It was everything she had wanted.

"I'll do it." She said, firmly and loudly, balling her fists. Enough mumbling.

"Right on!" Isshin said. "Hold on, I got the papers here somewhere…"

"Splendid." Aizen said, smiling happily at her. "I look forward to working with you, Erza."

This had been sprung on her on a hard, emotional time in her life, still in the throes of nearly losing some of her most precious people- but unexpected or not, hard or not, she was not going to let such a great opportunity slide. It was hers to seize, if she wanted to move forward- and where else was there to move, but forward? For Erza Scarlet, there was no place else to go.

* * *

The papers were signed, and within just hours, her transfer was complete. She said her goodbyes to Lisanna- nothing dramatic; it wasn't as if she wouldn't see her often anyhow. Lisanna had congratulated her, and after a warm hug, Erza was on her merry way to division five, carrying her personal belongings in a cardboard box. And once at her new division, she got all of the things promised- the third seat, along with a better, bigger room, a bigger pay check, greater responsibilities…  
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, three years passed. Day after day of hard work passed, always starting with an early rise and a meager breakfast, always ending with a tired Erza falling into bed, sleeping like a rock. It was in no way unfair, nor as exhaustive as her first days of teaching, and she did get free time to herself including one free day each week. There were the perks of being a top ranked officer too, official and unofficial- people showed you respect, gave you free tea and cookies at the shops, and rich men and women would often approach you with ingratiating smiles asking for a favour in this and that matter. Some of it was harmless, and some of it was pure bribery, she knew. Some, she knew, took the bribes without thinking twice. Erza herself rejected each offer without a second thought.  
With all this, with hard work and perks, she was content. She had enough direct work to keep her stimulated- she was officially too important for petty chores like patrolling, but on the other hand there was more paperwork…  
On the whole, she was in a good place.

Today in particular was special. She stood at the gates of division five, standing tall and firm, but couldn't help but smile a little. Through the years, she had still snuck off to teach her kids- she still thought of her students like that- what she could about sword-fighting, whenever they had the time. But time had passed, and suddenly they had all graduated. And today, she would be welcoming four of them to her division- Izuru Kira, Shuhei Hisagi, Hinamori Momo and Abarai Renji, all of them applying for division five immediately. She would be welcoming them, along with a dozen or so more recruits, and though she kept a stern front, she felt… excited inside.

After waiting for what was officially two forevers, she could see them walking down the street, all of them with that look on them she knew so well- of a rookie, somebody at once excited and nervous, confident and humbled, thrown into a world they thought they were ready for but just quite weren't.

"Recruits!" She bellowed once they were within earshot. "Over here- right this way!"

The new recruits flocked to her, and after giving them all a quick, stern speech about responsibility and how not-responsible people tended to have a disagreement with her fists, she led them to the barracks, signed all of their papers, and gave them the accommodations and assigned duties she was supposed to; all formal, all according to schedule. After a strict frown, and an order to get settled and report to their commanding officer- thankfully not one of her duties- the recruits scuttled away, nervous and eager.  
Except four of them, who stayed for just a minute in the dank light in the barracks, face to face with Erza. She kept a stern face, looking down on them with judgment, but not one of them, she knew, took it seriously. When Momo cracked a smile, and quickly walked forward to give Erza a hug, the façade broke instantly, and Erza smiled happily.

"Look at you all," she said softly, "all grown up. And it happened so fast!"

"We ain't little chickens no more, sensei," Renji said cockily, grin on his face. He had got tattoos on his face, she noticed- a couple lines just above his eyes.

"I'm not your sensei anymore, Renji," Erza corrected him.

"Well, I sure don't feel right callin' you 'sir', or somethin' like that." Said Renji.

"You may well have to. And if it's just me… well, call me Erza. Or if you want, just 'sis', I suppose."

"I like the sound of that." Momo said softly, as she broke away from the hug. "A big sister, protecting us from the monsters."

"Dunno about you, but I'd rather learn to protect myself," Hisagi said, arms crossed over his chest.

"Well said," Erza said, nodding, "and you will be soldiers from now on. You will start doing the lowest chores, just like I did- you'll go on endless patrols, you'll clean latrines, you'll do kitchen duty, you'll do laundry, you'll do everything the division needs you to."

"Ah, the glamour of shinigami life…" Kira mumbled sarcastically.

"You start at the bottom, all of you," Erza said firmly, "because you can't appreciate anything without earning it first. I've faith in all of you- you _will_ go far, but to climb high you must start at the lowest point. Is that understood?"

"Listen to you, all official…" Renji grumbled. "All right, scrubbing floors an' doing laundry it is, I guess. I'd argue, but I learned that's not an option with you, sens- sis."

"You're a good learner, Renji," Erza said, smiling grimly, "even though it took loads of pain for the lessons to sink in."

"Don't I know it." Renji said, flexing his muscles as if recalling one injury after another.

"Well, I can't be standing here coddling you all day," she said, making a motion to leave, "you all know who to report to, and…" she stopped herself.  
"There's just one thing."

"What, Erza?" Momo asked.

"It's… a bit of a, how do I put it…" Erza said hesitantly. "Basically, stay away from Ichimaru Gin." She had worked with the man every now and then these last three years, got to know what he was like, and… he was a creep. To put it mildly. He was lean, lanky, with silver grey hair and eyes that seemed constantly shut, and always with a mean-spirited smile on his face. Something seemed _wrong_ about him. He never did anything that was unambiguously questionable, but… he reeked of cruelty, his laid-back attitude showing hints of sadism every now and then. Completely cold, as if lacking any sort of empathy… he was like a serpent, Erza thought.

"Isn't he the vice-captain?" Kira said. "One of the best officers in the division?"

"Just… trust me on this, all right?" Erza said. "I've got a sense for these things, and that man… he's bad news all around. Stay away from him, as much as you can."

"Sure, sure," Renji said. "We got it. Now come on guys, duty's waitin'- boring patrols, and whatnot."

Momo gave her a hesitant look, and then the four of them went on their way, and Erza went on hers.

* * *

Her new position meant some interesting things, like high-level hollow hunts, and some less interesting things, like running errands from division to division making courtesy calls about interdivisional co-operations, schedules, having papers signed this and that way…  
Everyone knew the road to success was paved with failure, with blood, sweat and tears, with pain and endurance, with the perseverance to overcome whatever life threw your way. What most people _didn't_ know was that success also came with bureaucracy, whose lifeblood was paperwork- to no end. In this particular instance, it was an errand to twelfth division, to sign for a hollow captured by their division and subsequently handed to the research division. Along with her was Isane, on a similar errand herself- somebody had been injured, and of _course_ there was some paper that needed signing for that, too.

As she walked there, it occurred to her that she had never visited the place before- well, except the one time with Isane, but she had hardly seen anything of the division itself. She had never had cause to- her duties had had her spend much time in the field, and divisions did not frequently make joint operations; few situations called for deploying soldiers on that big of a scale. She'd met a few twelvers here and there, and they seemed all right to her. It was a place of learning, she knew, the home of the one and only science organization in the Gotei, as well as an extensive data bank and library.

Before long, the two of them were inside the division, heading towards the information desk. They were in luck; the captain himself stood there, angrily lecturing the receptionist over something. She hadn't met the man before; he was an elusive sort who didn't often stray outside his lab. She had heard he was a ruthless sort, very no-nonsense, but didn't know much else. As they approached, she noticed his strange appearance- skin painted white, with black linings- painted, or naturally coloured that way?

"No, you imbecile!" The captain sneered at the receptionist, his voice shrill enough to almost be a shriek. "The specimens were supposed to have come through half an hour ago, and it's only your incompetence keeping me from discovering all their secrets! Should I take you down to the labs, strap you down and dissect you instead?"  
The receptionist seemed too frightened to answer, looking to be on the verge of tears, so the captain continued his litany.  
"Honestly, the incompetence on you all! How am I expected to conduct my research when I am surrounded by fools?"

"Mayuri-sama," said a tall woman standing by his side, who Erza hadn't noticed until now. She was pretty, she noticed- black, straight hair hanging down in a neat cut, pale, well sculpted legs, and a calm, almost detached expression on her face.

"_What_?" He snarled, turning at her. "What could you add, you pathetic ingrate?"

"I believe this is a simple miscommunication, sir," the woman said, taking the abuse without flinching, "I have been told that the specimens have been delivered to section three, lab four. We simply haven't received word of it until thirty-two minutes ago."

"_Thirty-two minutes_?" Captain Kurotsuchi spat. "It has been here for over half an hour, and you haven't told me yet?!"

"You specifically ordered me to keep quiet as you left your lab, sir," the woman said.

"Nemu, you useless bitch!" He spat, and slapped her across the face. "I graciously let you live as my assistant, and this is how you repay me? Undermining my efforts?" As he screamed the words out, he hit her, again and again, until finally Nemu staggered back, leaned against a wall. Erza felt her fists balling, anger rising in her chest- but she could feel an arm on her shoulder, holding her back.

"Don't." Isane said. "You can't stop him. Nothing good will come of stepping up here."

"But he- but he's-" Erza said, fury preventing her from forming a proper sentence, as the captain hit, insulted, struck his assistant, over and over, not stopping when he drew blood, not stopping when she collapsed, sitting down against the wall as he hit her, again and again.

"You can't," Isane said, her grip tightening as Erza tried taking a step forward, "because he is a captain, and he has a right to run his division however he wants. If we step in here, then we're the ones breaking the rules- not him. And that would be if he didn't decide to kill us for insulting him."

"The man is a monster!" Erza hissed between her teeth.

"He is." Isane hissed back, "but there's nothing we can do. Not right now."

Erza's nails dug into her palms, hard enough to draw blood, as she watched the captain hit her, his hand finally slowing down out of exertion. He spat at the woman, then turned to face them, as if noticing them only now.

"Oh," he said, casually fixing his hat, "what the devil do you two want?" He looked at his hands, and his coat, and mumbled angrily, "Damn it, now I got blood on my clothes… what a useless bitch. Well, spit it out, the two of you!"

Erza said nothing, just barely managing to keep her mouth shut, just barely managing to not hit him with all the strength she had. Quickly, Isane spoke up:  
"We are here to sign for some specimens- and an injured member from your division. Please, sir, if you would take just a moment?"

"You're from four, aren't you?" He said, looking at them like they were vermin. "Fine, fine- hand me the damn papers. I have research to conduct, you plebeians."

Papers were signed, all while Erza's willpower was tested to their limits against herself, and finally, the captain turned to leave. He stopped by his assistant, and gave her a malicious look.

"Pick yourself up and be down in the lab in ten minutes, or I am dismantling you."

"Yes… sir." Nemu managed, looking frighteningly accepting. Did she take this all the time, was she this used to it?

The moment the captain turned around, Isane rushed over to Nemu, pulling out a medical kit from her pocket, treating her injuries with a feverish quickness.

"So you do care," Erza spat, finally managing to get a word out, taking several deep breaths to calm herself."

"That's not fair." Isane said, dabbing a cut on Nemu's face with alcohol. "Here, come help me."

"Yeah… sorry." Erza mumbled, walking over. It had been an unkind thing to say, but this… was a different experience, one she hadn't been at all prepared for.

"Are you okay?" Isane said to Nemu, not seeming to care much about the insult. "Does it hurt much? Anywhere specific?"

"I… need to go help… Mayuri-sama…" Nemu mumbled, clumsily attempting to stand.

"Out of the question." Isane said firmly. Sighing, remembering who she was dealing with, she said, "At least let me treat you, all right? You're no use, bleeding from your face."

Nemu said nothing, but sat back against the wall, letting Isane treat her. Soon- too soon, Erza knew- she got up, just barely treated for the injuries she had just taken.

"She is, ah, a mod soul," Isane mumbled. "He made her. She is his 'daughter'. He legally owns her. Beats her whenever he gets angry." She had a haunted look on her face. "It's… not right."

"Damn straight!" Erza growled. "How can people just… let this go on? How can nobody protest?"

"He's a captain." Isane said simply. "Practically, there's no position more powerful than that in all of the soul society. And if you hold that, without having any sense of good…" she trailed off, but the meaning was clear.

"Let's get out of here," Erza mumbled, pulling Isane by the arm. Nodding weakly, she followed her out.

As the two of them left, Erza thought she could hear, very faintly, a distorted sound from below, sounding like… a scream. She hoped it was her imagination.

* * *

Startling as some parts of Gotei life were- like the revelation that one of its highest officers was an abusive monster- there was still much good to be found. Her pillar of strength was her friends- Lisanna, Rangiku, Isane, Renji, Momo… they were what kept her going.  
Which was why, now in her room after hours, sitting on her bed, she was paying the likes of Mayuri no mind, because Momo sat across her, an excited smile on her face.

"Well, show it then," Erza said, smiling back. "It's not every day you achieve shikai, is it?"

"T-technically I did it the day before yesterday," Momo stuttered, teeming with a subdued eagerness, so typical to the shy little Momo Erza had first gotten to know, "but- but I had to try it again and again, just to make sure it wouldn't go away."

Erza giggled. "You know, they usually don't change their mind."

"I know, I know!" Momo said fussily. "But… I had to make sure. You know?"

"I know," Erza said, nodding. "Go on then."

Slowly and carefully, taking a deep breath, Momo pulled her zanpakutou out of its sheath, cautiously holding it straight up, grasping the hilt with both hands. She took a second deep breath, and said, a bit nervously,  
"Snap, Tobiume!"

There was a flare of red light, and the hilt straightened, and from each side a second and third blade jutted out, one lower down on the blade, and one higher up. It looked more like a tuning fork than a sword- but then again, you couldn't judge by appearance alone. With a curious look, Erza said,  
"Well, that's brilliant. What can it do?"

"It's sort of a kido weapon," Momo said, licking her lips nervously, "I can channel energy through it. Right now, all I can do is make things explode."

As if to accentuate her words, a jolt of red energy overflowed from the blade's tip, shooting into the roof with a small bang, leaving a small crater. Momo gave a shriek, and instantly sealed her sword again.

"That was not supposed to happen!" She said, holding a hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry- I should have better control, I really should!"

"It's all right," Erza said, looking at the hole in her roof. There was a red spark of residual energy there, dying out the moment she looked at it. "It's good. You've got a strong blade. You just need to practice with it."

"S-Sure," Momo mumbled. "I should be able to do some really interesting things with this… I just don't know much yet."

"It's the same for everyone." Erza said, reaching for her own Tetsu no Tama. "I had to try for a very long time before this one right here let me unlock its power. And if I don't live up to his standards, he'll take it away- he's a bit of a grump." She could feel the disapproval of her sword's spirit in her head, but she paid it no mind. She stepped off the bed, and slowly unsheathed the blade in its full length, a good deal bigger than Momo's- or for that part, most zanpakutou.  
"Let me show you." Erza said.

"Sure!" Momo said, nodding happily.

"Strike," she said, her tone assertive, and the sword glowed faintly in response. Nothing much else seemed to happen, though.

"Um…" Momo said, after a pause long enough that it was almost awkward.

"Dual." Erza said, and in both her hands appeared two long swords, with red hilts, but not looking extraordinary aside from that.  
"In battle, I can call these out easily, just with a thought. But here… it's a bit less compliant," Erza explained. "Back when I was alive, I had magic- I could switch around between any weapon or armour in my arsenal. I used to think my shikai would work the same way."

"But it doesn't?" Momo said, looking curious.

"No," said Erza, shaking her head, "I have a fixed number of weapons, and… well, each one looks like it's an aspect of combat, generated by my emotions. It was… subtler than I first expected. I only recently realized."

"And these two swords?"

"They are Balance," Erza said, weighing them in her hands, moving them around a little. "Using two swords at once takes extremely good hand-to-eye co-ordination- you have to do twice as much, and do it right all the time. As such, it's a sword combination used only by very skilled swordsmen. Because it requires the user to be very dexterous, they represent a good balance." She smiled, and let the weapons dissipate. "To be honest, they aren't very strong, because I'm not the calmest of swordspeople- I'm passionate, I live in the moment… if I could learn to distance myself, be more stoic, they would be much stronger."  
The weapon changed, now taking the form of a bearded axe, with a very long hilt.

"Breaker." Erza said simple, running her thumb down the axe's blade. "They represent determination, the willpower to crush your enemy no matter what. It hits slow, but hard, and crushes through the toughest defense when it does. This one… _is_ strong. But it's limited."

Again it changed, now turning into a great spear and a big, round shield, inscribed with the regalia of Fairy Tail itself.  
"Sentinel." Said Erza. "Born of my will to help others, to protect them from harm, it represents the aspect of defense."

She let it dissipate, and again the weapon changed, now taking the form of a black, jagged blade, a gigantic, thick greatsword that left a big dent in the floor as it materialized.  
"Render." Erza mumbled.

"It looks… different."

"It is." Erza said, looking intently at the weapon. "It's the strongest one. It's… the aspect of chaos. Of going berserk, wanting nothing more than to fight, fight, fight, to hit your enemy and never stop…"  
Ponderously, she let her eyes wander up and down the sword. "It's born from my hate, my anger, my sadness. It's the strongest, because… I had some… rough times before I reached my shikai. It's grown and changed since I first got it."

"It looks scary." Momo said quietly.

"It is." Erza agreed, letting the blade vanish, and her zanpakutou return to its sealed form. "But sometimes, I have to use it. I… want to make weapons like Dual or Sentinel the strongest, not Render. When I can do that, I think I will be truly strong."

"I'm sure you can do it." Momo said, and nodded.

"Sorry- I shouldn't have brought this out." Erza said apologetically. "Why don't we go out, celebrate your new sword?"

"Sure." Momo said, smiling slightly.

* * *

Aizen Sousuke was a planner of plans, a hatcher of schemes, a manipulator, a puppet master who tugged at strings from the shadows, hiding in plain sight. He was, however, not opposed to get his hands a little dirty, metaphorically speaking. Spend too much time sitting down, and you would lose your touch.  
Which was why he was out here in the Rukongai. When he had first started his infiltration, so much younger than now, he had sometimes fantasized that there might be more people like him- strong-willed, driven, with a goal and smarts to get there…  
But sadly- or not- he had never seen anybody much like himself, with perhaps just the one exception… he seemed to be alone in his brilliance, the only one with the will to change the world. Which was why he felt the smallest hint of irritation when he found people who had seen past this veil, only to create one of their own- like Inaba Kageroza. He was the seventh seat of division twelve, and one of its chief scientists, and he had run secret experiments out here, in this lab hidden far out in a half-dead forest. That in itself wasn't strange by twelfth division standards- it wasn't uncommon for more dangerous, unethical research to be carried out covertly, so that the Gotei could wash its hands off of it, should the secrets be unveiled.  
But Inaba was different. He had first looked into him only out of mild curiosity, as a way of passing the time- but the more he had looked, the more he had seen an oddball, somebody outside the norm, somebody with something to hide…  
It hadn't been hard to find. Inaba's greatest protection was his status as an officer, being beyond reproach as a researcher- but he was not good at covering his tracks. Irregularities in materials sent to his lab, strange work hours, and he hadn't even bothered to suppress his reiatsu by much going out here. Here, in the Rukongai, close to Erza's home village… what a quaint coincidence that was.

And out here, he had found exactly _what_. Row upon row of modified souls, clones of several officers from the Gotei, kept in tubes of glass. Some were failures, and others… he sensed the reiatsu signatures, and despite himself, he felt a little impressed. Not only were there some excellent copies, but they mimicked the signature- and power- of several captains. Yet, Inaba's vision was flawed. How could it not be? What could he possibly hope to do with an experiment like this, if not some plebeian idea like taking the Gotei over with force- or destroying it? Inwardly, he shook his head and sighed. People thought genius was something extraordinary, something special, yet they failed to see that genius was pointless without vision… not that these dolls were _genial_ in particular. Masterfully crafted, but even a casual look at the designs told him they could be improved upon.  
Well, no point in wasting time. If successful, these dolls could cause havoc, more than he was interested in dealing with. He'd have to slip the second division a discreet tip, without it being traceable back to him- let them deal with it. Or…

A train of thought that was spawning an idea was interrupted by something that caught his eye. A mod soul, in a glass container just like the rest. He approached it. Female, green hair, short, dressed simply yet in typically human fashion… and, he felt as he prodded for its signature, seemingly unique. The others were all copies, but this one… it had a subtlety to it. It had been _created_, with much care, to be something else, something unique. He smiled. This was most likely Inaba's prized possession. So… why not find out how prized a possession she was?

He opened the container, bypassing the simple kido lock put on it, and the mod soul began to wake up, slowly opening its eyes. Aizen held up his Kyoka Suigetsu, wordlessly letting the shikai activate- the mod soul would be seeing a frail old man dressed in rags, looking frightened.

"What?" She murmured. "Who- who are… who are you…"

She stood up out of the container, stepping out on the floor.

"Go." Aizen murmured, mimicking the words of a frightened old man. "Just- just go."  
And so, the illusory old man ran out of there at all speed. Aizen himself stood still where he was, quite invisible to the girl. He watched as she took a couple of cautious steps out on the floor- and then ran herself, away. Inaba was a good craftsman, but it seemed he instilled no love or loyalty. Typical.  
Well, at least it made for a new opportunity. This could be an interesting test for Erza- she was quite close now, to being somebody he'd make one of his own. And as it happened, she was out on visit there, in her old village- just by coincidence.

* * *

Every so often- although, Erza admitted to herself with a little shame, not often enough- she would come back to visit her village. It was good to be reminded who she was fighting for, where her roots were. She was strong now, and so very different from the girl that had once spawned in this afterlife, weak and ignorant, but she was still the same Erza who loved the company of others, cared about the weak and needing, and protected those she could. In this case, protection came in the form of some money, and any local bandit knowing that all hell would break loose if the village was targeted by anything bigger than petty theft.  
So it was that now, after a day off well spent in the company of the village children, who had watched with awe as she showed them her sword and regaled them with tales of her hunts- carefully censored to take out the more horrible bits- that she was walking home. Shunpo could take her there in a tenth of the time, but a good walk was nothing to waste- it gave her time to think, to enjoy the scenery, and just be left by herself.

Her tranquil walk, though, was interrupted. Not far from her village, she saw a girl, lying in a ditch just next to the road. Her clothes were strange, much better made than that of the typical Rukon dweller, and her hair was green. Quickly, Erza walked over, and checked for a pulse. She was alive, at the least- just unconscious, it seemed. Erza frowned, sensing carefully this mysterious soul. She had power, it seemed- quite a bit of it; at least the equivalent of a twentieth seat, putting her miles above the typical Rukon dweller.  
Carefully, she lifted her up, and put her under a tree by the road. She took out a simple water bottle from her pack- always useful on a trip like this- and splashed some of it on the girl's face, gently. It took a minute or so, but then the girl stirred, her eyes opening.

"Where…" She mumbled weakly.

"Drink." Erza said, holding the bottle to the girl's face. "Easy now- you must be exhausted." Carefully holding her head up with one hand, she put the bottle to her lips. The girl drank greedily, reaching up with one hand to hold it by herself. Erza let her, and sat back as the girl got up in a sitting position, taking deep gulps. Finally, she put the bottle down, and took a deep breath, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

"Who are you?" She asked shyly, looking at Erza with suspicion. Strange as she were, Erza couldn't blame her- the Rukon could be a hostile place.

"I mean you no harm," Erza said, making what she hoped was a friendly gesture with her arms. "You want that water? You can have it."

"…that doesn't answer my question." The girl mumbled.

"Oh. Right, that. I am Erza Scarlet, third seat of division five, of the Gotei Thirteen," she proclaimed, speaking quietly.

"…I am Nozomi," the girl said, clutching the water bottle and hugging her legs to her body. "My name is Kujo Nozomi."

"Where are you from?" Erza asked. "Where did you come from? When I found you, you were unconscious by the road. You must have walked for a very long time."

The girl just kept hugging her legs, looking into the ground.

"All right, all right," Erza said, making sure to keep an even, quiet tone, "I'm not going to force you to talk. I know a lot of people out here don't like us shinigami- some think we don't care, some think we're just like the gangs out there, only bigger and stronger… but I try to be better than that. I'm not going to force you to say anything- if it's your business, it's your business."

The girl just looked at her, with a curious expression, as if veering between suspicion, disbelief, and plain old confusion.

"…there's a village up that road." Erza said, pointing to where she had come from. "I'll walk you there- or not, if you don't want to. If you tell them Erza Scarlet sent you, they'll give you a meal and a place to stay. It's a good place to start. It's where I started."

The girl- Nozomi- sat quiet for a while, and Erza began to wonder for how long she could stay. She had to get back to the Gotei before sundown, and while helping a stranger was the kind thing to do, she couldn't hold herself up all day.

"…I'm afraid." Nozomi said at last. "He'll come hurt me if I…"

"Who will?" Erza asked.

"I can't tell." Nozomi said. "He kept me- he made me- it's not long from here…"

She trailed off.

"Like I said," Erza said carefully, "you don't have to tell me anything. I'm not here to bully you around. I just want to help."

"Why?"

Erza blinked. She _was_ strange. "…because I think it's the decent thing to do."

"And why is that?"

"I don't need a reason to be kind," Erza said, smiling at her, "it's just enough that people need a kindness, and I have the time to give it."

"That's all?" She sounded suspicious, almost hostile.

"That's all." Erza said affirmatively. "But I'm not going to force it on you if you don't want it. So…" She stood up, as if to leave.

"His name is Inaba." Nozomi said quietly.

"…really?" Erza said, sitting herself down again.

"You'll protect me?" Nozomi said. "If he comes for me?"

"I definitely will," Erza said, nodding. At this point, she knew of few people who could outfight her- vice-captains, captains, and not many others; certainly no Inaba.

"…all right then," The girl murmured. "Listen closely…"

* * *

What she told Erza had her at first nodding understandingly, then raising her eyebrows, then drawing a sharp breath of surprise- the girl, Nozomi was a purely artificial creation, grown in a lab not far from here. More alarmingly, said lab was full of copies of Gotei officers of the highest rank, powerful and intended to do harm… Erza could scarcely believe it as she heard the tale, but if the girl was lying, then she was a fantastic actor. A quick tour back to the lab, after some instructions, confirmed it- a secret lab, full of devious things…  
Erza had returned to Nozomi not an hour later, picked her up in her arms, and carried her with her as she sped towards the Gotei Thirteen as fast as her legs could carry her. After placing Nozomi in official custody- that is, in her own room- she had reported directly to Aizen. He had listened, nodded, and sent word to the second division immediately.

That had been yesterday. Now, today, she stood to attention in his office, called in by her captain personally.

"At ease, please," Aizen said, standing up from behind his desk. Erza relaxed herself a little.  
"The report came back this morning. It seems this Nozomi girl was one in a line of dozens of creations. They are being dismantled and destroyed as we speak, of course- terribly dangerous."

"What will happen to Nozomi herself?" Erza said stiffly. Would they want to do the same to her, dismantle her?

"I argued for her case. I can say with some confidence that she will not face the same fate- she has a mind of her own. She is a soul, even if artificially created. She will be kept under surveillance, but I can say with some confidence that she will be allowed to live."

"Good." Erza said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"More importantly, Inaba is still at large." Aizen said gravely. "His goal, it seems, was not a hostile takeover, but the complete destruction of the Gotei Thirteen. His research, 'Project Spear'- a mod soul program for combat purposes- was rejected. For that petty a reason, he decided to use his genius for the sake of destroying all we hold dear." He sighed. "A wanted order has been put on him, dead or alive, but due to the level of strength he possesses, a regular kill team is out of the question."

"Sir?"

"I'd like you to hunt him down." Aizen said, giving her a smile. "We have a fix on his last known position, out in the Rukon, and it's continuously monitored."

"Yes, sir." Erza said, nodding.

"I know you will do fine. But don't delay- go out there now. Everything you need to know will be in this file." He said, handing her a file, not especially thick. She looked inside; there were some sheets of information, and some photos.  
"Read on your way there. Now, go."

Erza nodded, and walked out.

* * *

Out she was in the Rukon, in a rugged forest littered with half-dead trees. It was a gloomy place, even with the sun shining down on it; most appropriate, Erza felt, for traitorous scum like Inaba Kageroza.  
She walked cross the forest floor for an hour or so, carefully sensing for reiatsu. She was watched, most likely, by intelligence agents- they left nothing to chance. She would solve this herself, though- Aizen was counting on her, and she would not let him down.

Eventually, she sensed it- emissions of reiatsu, well hidden but not concealed enough, too close to be masked. Confidently, she stepped up towards where it came from. She came upon a rock formation, with an entrance to a small cave. Hiding in the dark? It would do him no good. Boldly, she stepped forward, unsheathing her sword. She murmured the release for her shikai, and felt the blade change, manifesting as Dual, one sword in each hand. She stepped towards the mouth of the cave, feeling the reiatsu source. No letting her guard down; there was no telling what-  
The assault was sudden, out of nowhere, and only many decades' worth of trained reflexes let her react in time. From above, a series of jagged, rock-like projectile rained down on her, and just at the last second she slipped into a shunpo, moving away. She had been hit, though; several of the projectiles had slammed into her left arm and shoulder. It hurt, but nothing seemed broken. Sliding to a halt some twenty strides back, Erza looked up at her attacker.

"This is who they send for me?" Said Inaba, standing above the cave. "Pitiful."  
He stood tall, wearing yellow robes, and he wore the creepiest spectacles. His hair was green, like Nozomi's, with a blond streak in it. In his hand was a double-bladed sort of staff, with a sword blade at each end, held with the casual ease of a trained swordsman.

Erza did not indulge him with a reply, instead dashing forward into a zig-zagging run, shunpo carrying her at breakneck speed. Inaba spun his sword-staff, though, forming a grey circle of some sort, from which more stone-like projectiles flew. Erza was forced to jump aside, her charge halting. Inaba did not let up, sending hailstorm after hailstorm of rocks at her. As she jumped, dodged, she tried to think- there seemed to be no end to these things, and though they dissolved very quickly after hitting, they did hit hard. His spiritual pressure was absurd, for a supposed seventh seat- easily at the level of a vice-captain. Quickly, to test him, Erza sent out a mid-level kido spell at him.

"Hado number thirty-three: Sokatsui!" She cried, and the white lightning formed in her palm, flying directly at Inaba. He did not even move; the grey circle just formed in front of him, blocking her attack with ease. Damn. She was getting nowhere like this.

"Sentinel." She murmured, and her weapons shifted into the round shield and spear. Standing her ground, she waited for Inaba to make his move. Spinning his sword again, the grey circle appeared, raining down another barrage of pointy projectiles. Bracing herself, Erza lowered her centre of gravity, and held her shield up high, absorbing the attack. It hammered on her hard, and her shield arm screamed in protest against the unrelenting assault, but she had to endure. It couldn't last forever, right?

She hoped it wouldn't.

Luckily, it didn't- after what felt like an eternity, the barrage stopped for just a second. It was all Erza needed. Raising her spear arm for a throw, she could see Inaba looking down on her, as if to see if she was still standing. Then, she let her arm lash out, and the spear flew from her hand, and in just the blink of an eye, it hit home. She heard the dull thud of flesh being pierced, and a grunt from Inaba. The spear and shield dissolved, once again re-shaping as dual blades, and she leapt forward in a step of shunpo, crossing the distance in but a second. Inaba was staggering back, bleeding heavily from his side, but he still managed to parry her strike, skillfully wielding his stave-sword. He was hurting though, Erza knew it, and up close she had the advantage. Mercilessly, she hacked and slashed at him, with all the speed and grace she was capable of, her arms weaving an artful, well-practiced pattern of slashes, stabs, upward and downward cuts. None of these were meant to hit so much as keep him on the defensive.

He was defending though, just barely, seeming far more resilient than she would have expected. After nearly two minutes of trying to break his guard, she decided to try something else. Pushing down hard with both swords, she locked the both of them in place, pushing against each other.  
Then, letting go of one sword, she thrust her palm forward, under his guard and right against his chest.

"Hado number one: Shou!" She cried, putting all she had behind the simple kido spell. It slammed into him with full force, knocking him over, sending him tumbling. To his credit, he was almost at his feet when she came at him, but it was too late. Slashing upwards with both swords, she cut him across the chest and arm, feeling flesh give way to the sharpness of her blades. He cried out in pain, and still managed to get to his feet, but Erza gave him no pause, kicking him in the gut. He staggered back, and Erza prepared to attack again. Now to hurt him just badly enough that he'd live-  
Then he reached for something by her waist, and suddenly there was a puff of smoke, and Erza's eyes hurt. Coughing, tears running from her eyes from the chemical smoke bomb, Erza fell over. By the time she got to her feet, Inaba was already on the run.

* * *

Inaba grunted through his teeth, biting back the pain. He had administered as strong of a painkiller as he dared, and kept running. He was bleeding from at least three places- the damned woman had pierced his side with a spear, and cut him twice with swords, catching his chest and arms. Blood was soiling his robes, and the pain still burned through the drugs he had injected.  
Damn them all! He had given the Gotei his truest _genius_, allowed them the finest project imaginable, and this was the thanks he got? They deserved to die. Every last one of them deserved to die, for rejecting him, for refusing an intellectual superior out of ignorance. Mongrel apes, the lot of them, stuck in their archaic beliefs of power and authority…

But of course, being a genius, Inaba had taken precautions. The moment he started his revenge scheme, he had known this was a possibility. There were contingencies. There were safe houses out there, deep in the Rukon, according to his own design, well hidden from all prying eyes. He'd run, he'd lick his wounds, and he'd do whatever was necessary to get his revenge. One day… one day, they'd all see. Letting out a wheezing chuckle, he pictured the death of each captain, powerless to stop his brilliant plan…

And then, as he staggered forward, he noticed a figure standing in his way. He had almost bumped into his chest, so preoccupied had he been.

"Aizen!" He burst out, cursing his luck.

"It's the strangest thing, ambition," Aizen said. His tone was different- in fact, all about him seemed subtly different. He wasn't wearing his glasses; he was holding them in his left hand, his hair was combed back, and he sounded so… cold.  
"It's a good thing to have," he continued, as Inaba staggered, forcing himself to stay upright despite the pain, "how else will you get anywhere in life? Too many settle for less than they are capable of. Out of laziness, out of security, out of contentedness. Even among the best officers, this is true. Few are those who do not _settle_."

"What is this?" Inaba snarled. He was a wanted man, a traitor- yet Aizen had neither killed him, nor made a move to subdue him.

"Your work." Aizen said, smiling as if he was thinking of a funny joke. "I liked it. I almost admired it. It's all being destroyed now, of course, but I saved some blueprints for personal use."

A look of horror crossed Inaba's face, as he imagined all his research- his brilliant knowledge, unearthed only to be buried again- being destroyed. Aizen only looked more amused now, seeing his face.

"You had ambition, power, and nearly was careful enough to cause a ruckus. You even made a copy of myself. I'd have felt insulted- but then again, I cannot be copied. I am one of a kind. Your crude effigy was the copy of a fantasy- so I'll let that slide." He put his hand on his sword, and slowly pulled it out. Inaba took a sharp breath, preparing himself for the worst.  
"What I cannot abide is having ambition, power, seeing past the illusion everyone else does… and then making a pitfall of your own the moment you gained clarity." He sighed, casually waving his sword in Inaba's direction. "Really, destruction? For the sake of petty revenge? I could respect wanting to tear it all down to build a new tomorrow, according to your own vision, but you didn't even think that far, did you?"

"If you're going to kill me, kill me." Inaba sneered, clutching at his side.

"No." Aizen said flatly. "We'll get there. But first, I think you need to know why you failed. Not just because you were careless, but because you attracted a bigger fish- that is, myself- without even knowing I was there." He narrowed his eyebrows. "You are a petty, second-rate schemer. You are a child whose reaction to adversity was throwing a tantrum and wanting to kill all your detractors. You are a little fish who dared to swim in my waters without looking further than right ahead of you."

"What are you?" Inaba hissed, breathing heavily. "If you're a 'big fish'- what does that make you?"

"A bringer of change. I'd explain, but what I want is far beyond your limited spectrum. You put yourself in my way, as if you could possibly be a worthy rival. I am the man who will topple the Gotei- and when I do, it will have _meaning_."

"And they said I was mad-" Inaba started, but before he could continue, Aizen was right in front of him, his sword smoothly sliding into Inaba's chest. He let out a gurgle, as he watched his heart's blood pour out. What had happened? There had been no shunpo, no hint of movement- one moment, he had just _been_ there, right in front of him, before he had had a chance to raise his guard.

"Madness is what lesser men call a true genius that they cannot understand." Aizen said, his eyes staring right into Inaba's. "On that point alone, I think we agree."

Those were the last words Inaba ever heard, and he sunk to his knees and slumped over, quite dead. Shooting a content smile, Aizen dried his blade with a handkerchief, sheathed it, and put his glasses back on. Well, this had been a fun distraction…

* * *

The next day, Erza reported back to her captain's office. The mission was, on paper, a success- Inaba had been found a few miles down the line, having bled to death. It did not feel like success, though- she had wanted to take him alive, bring him to justice. She sort of expected a chewing out, and she felt like she would deserve it. Walking in to the office, she stood to attention before her captain.

"Erza Scarlet reporting, sir." She said stiffly, in an unusually formal tone.

"Report, then," Aizen said, from behind his desk.

"I pursued Kageroza Inaba to the indicated location. He used his zanpakutou's abilities to launch a surprise attack, but was unable to deal any significant damage." Her shoulder still ached, though. "After overcoming his shikai's ability, I was able to close the distance, and finally outfight him. I cut him a total of three times, although in my opinion, with the physique of a shinigami of his level, it should not have been fatal." She lowered her gaze to the floor. "I was mistaken, sir."

"Please, Erza," Aizen said, smiling at her, "look at me." Reluctantly, she obliged.  
"Inaba was unstable." Aizen explained. "He had performed much experimentation on himself, to some success- but his body was unable to adjust in such a high stress situation. He chose to run, and due to a self-induced chemical imbalance, he bled to death. You had no way of knowing. You did your duty admirably, as I knew you would."

She really wished he had just scolded her. "Sir?"

"It's an ugly business." He said, shaking his head. "Some would say it is better this way. Not myself, of course," he added hastily, seeing Erza's look. "No, I'd rather have seen him brought to justice… the Gotei was not without blame, benefitting from his research for so long without seeing him go… extreme."

Erza nodded. "I tried my best."

"You always do." He said, smiling warmly. "Now, I believe there is something else you'd like to ask me…?"

Erza nodded again. "Yes- Nozomi."

Aizen sighed. "Right now, only a limited number of people know of her existence. I had hoped to save her- but the second division is rather… insistent on cleaning this mess up. And by 'clean up', I mean 'purge with fire'. Twelfth was furious- they purged all the mod souls they could find, along with any data. If they find out about Nozomi…"

"They would kill her." Erza said sharply.

"They would call it termination." Aizen said soberly. "To them, it's no different from scrapping a machine. The law would agree with them."

"It's not right!" Erza burst out. "She's a person- she has thoughts and dreams and- and- and- she's not just some toy-"

"Calm down." Aizen said sharply. "What is there to do?"

"I'll take her and run if I have to." Erza said stubbornly.

"You really mean it, don't you?"

"Yes." Erza said, taking a deep breath, realizing that she did, that she'd walk out on her entire life over just a principle. Damn ethics…

"You do realize you just confessed intent of treason to a captain, yes?"

"…so be it." Erza said coldly, feeling like she was standing next to a cliff, ready to take the plunge, to crash and burn. What would he do? He was dutiful, she knew- understanding, kind, reasonable, but not a traitor.

But Aizen just smiled. "Calm down- there's no need to be so drastic. I'm not about to report you for having a moral spine."

Erza breathed a sigh of relief. "So you agree, then?"

"Do I agree that she deserves more than indiscriminate termination? Yes. I do. But officially speaking, I cannot do much. Legally, my hands are tied. This is a second division matter."

"Then-" Erza started angrily, but Aizen raised his hand, silencing her.

"I said _officially_."

"…sir?" She said uncertainly.

"Erza, ever since the first time I saw you, I knew you were different." He said, leaning back in his chair, crossing his fingers. "You are intelligent, driven, and you know right from wrong. I always knew you would go far. To be honest, I am proud to have you under my wing- proud to see you standing here, in the face of your superior, choosing right over law no matter the cost. You have integrity. It is people like you who make society worthwhile."

"..sir?" She said, feeling surprised. That was high praise, and it rather came out of nowhere- it was wonderful to hear, sure, but it didn't have much to do with Nozomi.

He sighed, and shrugged. "I suppose what I am trying to say, in my roundabout way, is that I like you. Integrity, backbone… that's hard to come by."

Erza nodded. "You said… _officially_."

"Clever girl," Aizen said, nodding and pointing a finger at her. "Yes, officially I can do nothing. But as you know, being a captain comes with considerable power. We are expected to never abuse it- but when it's something obviously right, like saving a life from merciless bureaucracy, is that abuse?"

"No, sir." Erza said firmly, looking him in the eye.

"It's not, no." Aizen said. He rummaged through his desk, finding a file of papers. "I could… I could call in a few favours, silence a few voices- with money, maybe a bit of threats… I could make some reports go away. I could save her. Yes, I could save her."

A look of joy on her face, Erza shot forward, putting her hands on his desk. "You could? Then please, I beg you, captain! You must!"

"You barely know her." Aizen said. "She could become a villain no better than Inaba, for all you know."

"She deserves a chance at life. It doesn't matter if she is my best friend, or a stranger on the street- she deserves a chance. Everyone does."

"Remarkable." Aizen mumbled. "There is the fire of conviction in your eyes- of a kind I haven't seen in a long time. You really believe it?"

"I believe she deserves better." Erza said, standing herself tall. "I'm not a philosopher- I'm not that smart. But I believe everyone deserves a chance."

"This would come at great personal risk." Aizen said hesitantly. "If it were found out… captains can be cut a lot of slack, but it only goes so far. If it were exposed, I could be imprisoned, maybe even executed…"

"I-I know, sir," Erza swallowed. "I could just-"

"No, you're not going to grab her and run, you silly girl," Aizen said dismissively, chuckling. "You'd get found in two weeks' time, max. You are strong, but you are no good at hiding."

Feeling embarrassed, Erza nodded. "But still-"

"I'll do it." Aizen said. "But… remember that, when it counts the most, you owe me one. A big favour. Anything I can care to ask. Is that understood?"

"I accept." Erza said, nodding.

"And you would never go back on your word."

"Not once."

"It is done, then," Aizen said, nodding. "Don't worry- I am confident that when I am through, she will be just another soul recruited from the Rukon. She will have to attend academy, of course."

"Of course." Erza said, breathing out with relief again. "Thank you so much, sir- thank you so much!"

"It's all right." He said cheerfully. "Really, I'll think of it as a mental exercise."

"Yes- so-"

"You should probably run along now- go tell Nozomi the score. She is a soul from the twenty-third district of the Rukongai. She lived in a village called Rakutei, with an old man named Jaken, and you spotted her there and offered her a place. She accepted. Can you memorize that?"

"Twenty-third district, village Rakutei, old man Jaken," Erza said, nodding excitedly. "I'll- I'll go tell her right away."

With that, she turned around, and practically ran out of there. Aizen sat back in his chair, smiling a genuine smile. It felt good when things progressed smoothly, yes it did…

* * *

A week later, with some hasty paperwork having been filed left and right, Nozomi stood outside the shinigami academy, dressed in a women's academy uniform. Aizen had been true to his word- nobody seemed to have any idea, and all the official documents said the same: soul with spirit potential found in district twenty-three, by Erza Scarlet. If anybody knew, they did nothing about it- which made it unlikely; second division was very no-nonsense when it came to professional murder.

Nozomi looked excited- the fear had left her eyes, with her creator now dead and her future secured.

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Erza said. She knew she wasn't her mother, her older sister- that she hardly even knew her- but somehow, she couldn't help but fuss. She had found her, saved her… she felt oddly responsible.

"I'll be fine, Erza," Nozomi said happily.

"You don't think- you don't think being, er, like you are, that will stop you…?"

"Being a mod soul?" Nozomi said. "It's all right, you can say it. Just not very loudly."

"Right."

"Really, I'll be fine. Souls are just a mess of spirit particles to begin with- anything they can do, I can do. Actually, being designed is an advantage- I'm better built, not just the result of a random process. No offense." She said hastily.

"It's fine." Erza said, laughing. "So… you're sure you can handle this?"

"Anything they can do, I can do better." Nozomi said resolutely. "Besides, it's not like I have anywhere else to go. I become a shinigami, or else- that was the deal, right?"

"Yeah…" Erza said, shifting uncomfortably. In an ideal world, Nozomi would have had her freedom, not needing to hide- but the world was anything but ideal.

"I'm going to try and be like you." Nozomi said, looking her in the eye. "No, better- I'm going to study hard, train, give it my all, and one day I'll be a captain. Then, you'll have to call me 'sir'." She shot her a grin. She had grown an attitude, that was for sure.

"Yeah?" Erza said, grinning back. "I'll be a captain long before that, just you wait."

"It's a deal, then," Nozomi said happily. "One day, we'll both be captains together."

"Go as far as you can. And if you fail to get to the top- that's all right, so long as you did your best." Erza said, nodding. "Now, go ahead- you've got school to go to."

"You'll come see me, right?" Nozomi said hesitantly. "I don't know anyone else…"

"Of course I will." Erza said, nodding. "I don't abandon my friends."

"Friends…" Nozomi mumbled. "Yes, of course… all right. I'll see you later, Erza.

And with that, Nozomi walked away, through the academy's gates, with a spirited gait, almost bouncing, skipping. She had a tomorrow to get to. It didn't make Erza feel big, didn't make her feel like a savior, but it did make her happy. She could make a difference, she knew it- and with good people like Aizen at her side, there was hope for this world after all. One day she'd wear a jacked just like his, have power just like his, and she would help everyone she could…

Well, that was a long way away. For now, paperwork awaited- reports didn't write themselves, however much she wished they would.

* * *

**As the title of that chapter said, interesting developments indeed! **

**I've always liked Nozomi as a character. Strong, willing to fight for her friends, and has quite a bit of a backbone to her. Not to mention cute as all hell. However, despite that, I really didn't want to do a few chapters JUST do get her involved, because as much as I like HER, the arc she was in...Not so much. Not the worst filler ever, but after that reigai Momo episode...Yeah. ****Hope you all liked How Aizen dealt with Kageroza. One of my favorite scenes so far. :)****And we finally get introduced to one of the main issues that I find with the gotie 13. Mayuri. I wont deny that the man is brilliant, no one can, and he does have the power needed to be a captain...But my god do I HATE him. ****Any character who abuses their own children will be a character I despise. I know he made her and all that, but...still, that's just not right! That's not even touching on the OTHER things he's done.**

**Also, the screams Erza heard in that laboratory..._REMEMBER_ this. That's all Ill say for now.**

**Last but not least, I decided to go a bit more into detail as to how Erza's shikai works. Its a bit different from the original idea, which was just her being able to think of any close quarters weapon and her sword would turn into it. You can all thank GreatKingRat88 for the new, and in my opinion, improved, version.**

**Thanks for reading! Please leave any of your thoughts in a review, I LOVE hearing what people think of what we've done!**


	16. The Decisions we have to live with

**Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima, Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. I own nothing.**

**A special thank you to Greatkingrat88 for writing this.**

**You know that update once a month rule?...Yeah, just this once, I'm gonna say fuck it and give you, my fans, another chapter for june. ****This chapter is shorter than the previous two, but that said, I'm sure that you'll all enjoy what I have in store for you today.**

**Please feel free to leave a review, its HIGHLY appreciated. **

* * *

A month or so later, things had stabilized rather well. Nozomi was in school, Erza kept up with her friends, and she was… actually dealing with her past traumas rather well. If she could ignore that the likes of Kurotsuchi Mayuri were in a position of power, she would have been completely content. Happy. But she was well enough, and on her way to the goal she had set for herself- yes, life was not so bad.  
Right now, she was out in the Rukongai once more, called out by her captain. If he himself were out there, summoning her, it had to be a serious mission, right? Only, he hadn't said what it was. It was… an oddity.

When she came upon the designated meeting spot- a beautiful forest, with a small dirt path leading into a leafy grove- she saw Ichimaru Gin standing there, waiting, with the same creepy smile. She felt a shudder go down her spine. He unsettled her- her, and everyone else, and she often wondered why Aizen would keep a man like him so close to her.

"Head right this way, lil' Erza," Ichimaru said, in his typical drawl, "he's waitin' for ya, right up the path."

Eager to be away from him, Erza walked past him, up the path he had indicated. This was definitely irregular. Few missions called for the supreme power of a captain to begin with; fewer still the presence of both the captain and his second. And his third seat too, herself? Why weren't they meeting up together?

In just a minute or so, she found him, sitting cross-legged by a pond, a peaceful look on his face. He wore no glasses, she noticed; he seemed different.

"Come, sit." He said, motioning for her to come closer.

"This isn't a mission at all, is it?" Erza said confusedly, obeying her captain, walking closer. Hesitantly, she sat down next to him.

"You always were astute." He said, casually leaning himself back, his arms supporting him as he stared up at the forest canopy. "This is a beautiful place, isn't it? Sometimes you have to stop to appreciate things like these, to remember that there's more point to your life than just duty, work…"

"Sir?" She said stiffly. She was not artistic, or a gentleman type like her captain- the beauty of nature was wasted on her most of the time.

"Sorry, I deceived you," Aizen said, sitting himself up straight. "No, there is no mission at all. I lied. But I had a reason, yes?"

"You must have." Erza said.

"But you're not asking what. No, you never were rude- not the kind to bow to authority easily, but not rude. Because I earned my place in your mind as somebody to respect, you won't ask. Is that correct?"

"…I suppose so, yes." He was quite strange today.

"Erza, do you trust me?" He said, looking into her eyes.

"With my life, captain," She said firmly.

"It is an honour." Aizen said, nodding. "But the question is… Erza, can I trust you?"

"Sir?" Erza said, frowning.

"I have important things to say. Things I couldn't say to even the dearest of friends, or even a lover. Dangerous things."

"How dangerous?"

"What I need to say, Erza, could get you implicated for treason simply for having heard the words. So what I ask is- can I trust you? With the most serious and deeply held of secrets?"

"…I, sir…" Erza said, finding herself uneasy, confused. What was he about to say? What was his idea?  
"Of course you can trust me."

"Under threat to your wellbeing, your career, even your life?"

"Yes!" Erza said, making a fist. "You are a good man- I cannot imagine you would do anything without a good reason."

Aizen smiled. "You sound almost hurt, Scarlet."

Erza didn't reply, not knowing what to say, and simply shot him a look- one, she realized, might look like a glare.

"Under any normal circumstance, I would not question your loyalty. But this… is different."

"Tell me what you mean, sir," Erza said, with steel in her voice, "tell me, and then, no matter what, I will not betray your secret." He looked hesitant, and Erza continued, "you already _do_ trust me. You brought me out here, to tell me you have an idea that could make you a traitor. So do not play games with me! Sir."

Aizen nodded. "The 'games' are… necessary. So far, there are a total of only two more individuals who know of my plans."

"What are your plans, then?"

"Tell me, Scarlet," he said, looking into the distance, "you saw through it, didn't you?"

"Saw through what?"

"The veil." He said quietly. Seeing her puzzled expression, he explained, "It's a metaphor I use. The 'veil' is what I call everything that keeps you from seeing the truth and acting on it- your friends, your family, your job, your culture…"

"I don't understand."

"All right. You came from a poor village in the Rukongai, yes? And you joined, partly because you wanted them to have a better life. You wanted to help them."

"Yes."

"Many shinigami do that. And most of them forget about making the world a better place by the time they've graduated and gotten a position. From there, their focus is… their career, their duties, their friends. Their focus is, simply put, _themselves_."

"What- is that just selfish?" Erza asked, frowning.

"It's human nature." Aizen retorted. "But you've seen the Rukongai. You've seen the poverty, the misery, the insecurity. You've seen people at the mercy of bandits, hollows, always afraid of starving, being killed, hunted like dogs… that is no decent way to live."

"No, it is not," Erza said, shaking her head.

"The Gotei has power. Real power, unimaginable vast power. It could change all the Rukon, if it wanted to. Yes?"

"I suppose they could." Erza said. She was very unsure of where this was going. All he said, that was things she knew, things she had often thought- but rarely voiced; nobody seemed interested.

"Yet, they do not. Why is that?"

"The Gotei has a duty to maintain the balance of the world," Erza said defensively, "it's a vastly important duty. Without us, all three worlds might collapse."

"Literally true, yes," Aizen said, nodding, "but you know as well as I do that the issue is not that simple."

Erza remained silent, so Aizen continued. "We recruit a few hundred souls every year, to replace casualties. That's a few hundred, out of billions of souls- out of hundreds of millions of potential soldiers. Yet the Gotei remains at a few thousand soldiers, just enough to keep military operations running. Enough to keep up the status quo."

"But-" Erza said, not even knowing why she was defending them, what she was defending.

"Can't you imagine what it would be like if instead of kowtowing to nobles and running a never-ending balance operation, we'd recruit millions of soldiers. Imagine how many areas we could control. Imagine how many countries would have competent governors, a police force, a law to protect the weak from the strong and ruthless. Imagine a world, not perfect, but one where violence was considered unacceptable, where theft, murder and robbery are punished, where hollows are not free to strike as they please. Imagine that, Erza."

"Well…"

"Please, I mean that literally. Close your eyes, and imagine what it would be like if the Soul Society looked not like it does now, but like it _should_."

He paused, and looked at her, and hesitantly Erza obeyed. She closed her eyes, and imagine. Villages, with children playing, laughing, never hungry, feeling safe… thousands of people, living their lives without fear. It was an intoxicating thing to consider.

"I asked you this, because I saw that you dared to dream," Aizen said emphatically, "I saw that you were different. You saw the apathy of your fellow soldiers, and it appalled you. Unimaginable suffering, every day, and everyone acts like it doesn't even exist. They take their privilege for granted, their secure lives, their power and strength, and never consider that those with power have a moral obligation to _help_."

Something in Erza's soul was lit aflame. He was right! For how long had it gone on, this afterlife, without anyone even trying? Where children died for nothing, without anybody being able to do anything about it?"

"Every day," Aizen said, his voice trembling mildly, "every day, an average of four thousand children die. _Every day_. And that is just the children. How many do you think die in just one week?"

"But… what could we do?"

"Apathy is one thing. It is natural, normal- people have limited perspectives. It's not malevolent to be self-centred. But… you know the Gotei. You know that it isn't just apathetic, but truly corrupt."

"Yes." Erza whispered.

"You remember your trial." Aizen said, nodding. "A petty, ignorant man with money used his power to abuse the school system. And when you dared stand up to him, he decided that you should vanish. You were not the first one. How many times do you think men and women like him have abused their power like so?"

"I won." Erza said, almost voicelessly.

"Because of me." Aizen said. "And because of Shiba. You won because you had higher connections, not because you were right."

He was right.

"The second division runs a place where they can place anybody, without trial, whether they've done anything or not." Aizen said. "The maggot's nest. Just being a potential threat is enough. That's where you would have gone- if you were lucky."

Erza balled her fist.  
"It's a whole… thing!" She snapped. "A law system, troops, a whole culture. What can I do? What can anyone do?!"

"We'll get there," Aizen said, nodding. "But you recognize that the Gotei is not a just place, yes?"

"No, it is not," Erza said, shaking her head. "I tried to think… that maybe we just do more good than bad. That working hard can make up for it."

"But deep down, you know that is little comfort for the innocents murdered by this system," Aizen said, putting a hand on her back, "you knew it wasn't _right_."

Erza just quietly shook her head.

"And meanwhile, the Gotei employs true monsters, like Kurotsuchi Mayuri. Powerful murderers, like Zaraki Kenpachi, whose only qualification is strength. These are the people you serve."

"Enough!" Erza snapped. "Stop! I know already! Just tell me what you want!"

"Please be patient with me," Aizen said, his voice calm, "I have something I'd like for you to look at." He reached into his coat, and pulled out a paper folder.

"What's this?" Erza asked, taking it in her hands.

"A copy of your recruitment file," Aizen said. "These are confidential to recruits, but we are well past regulation now, aren't we?"

With a little dread, Erza opened the file. It was a detailed set of observations, about her power, her ability, her personality. She had been watched for some time before being recruited, it seemed.

"Look at the bottom." Aizen said.

Erza read aloud. "Subject is very powerful, by non-shinigami standards. Known also to be resourceful, enduring, with experience in combat. In case of failed recruitment, recommend a kill team led by a single digit seat to eliminate her with minimal risk." Her fingers trembled.

"You see for yourself." Aizen said.

"They were going to kill me if I said no." Erza said quietly.

"You always suspected, didn't you? You always feared that- that they'd kill you, or somebody close to you, if you disagreed. But you told yourself that it would be for the best."

Erza made a fist, crumpling the paper. "Do they do this to other people?" She asked, her voice almost a hiss.

"Yes." Aizen said plainly. "Anyone thought too strong not to be useful, controllable, is eliminated. It is standard procedure."

"It can't be," Erza mumbled, shaking her head, "they can't just…"

"I know why you deny it," Aizen said calmly. "because if you don't, you'd have to admit to yourself that all your service so far, everything you've done, is at the very least tainted by corruption."

"If that is so, then where are you, captain?" Erza said bitterly. "You are one of the most powerful people- so how much 'taint' have you spread? How many blind eyes have you turned?"

A mournful look passed his face, and he said, "Too much. Too many times. But there's the twist- it doesn't have to be this way. Everything I've done, I've done for a better tomorrow. Not some naïve dream that just a bit of hard work and goodness will change the system- a real vision for the future. I have been part of this corruption, let it spread, ignored justice- but I've done it all for a greater good."

"What greater good is that?"

"When I was young," Aizen said, ignoring her question, "I was a lot like you. I believed in kindness, in goodness, that the shinigami were heroic protectors. That the foul things around them were necessary, because of what hung in the balance. It was one of the reasons I joined them. But I was disappointed soon- very disappointed. All my talent, so soon and quickly recognized, was leeched on by this… system of cruelty and callousness. It is a cancer- the whole of the Gotei is a cancer. I realized that soon. And when I did… I decided that I'd rather die than let that stand."

"What does that mean? I want an answer _now_, sir, or I am leaving." Erza said sharply, only barely controlling her emotions. Everything he had said had hit home, hit at every doubt she'd had, every last piece of things _she knew should not be_, but ignored, for the sake of this 'veil'.

"I want to burn the Gotei down." Aizen said. "I want to see every nobleman on trial, and the corrupt ones punished- executed or imprisoned. I would see all their wealth given to us, so that we could give it back to the people. I would see the Central Forty-Six deposed, power given back to somebody whose interest lies with the people, not wealth, power, or some abstract idea. I would see the captain-commander, and all who stand with him, stand trial for their corruption. I would see myself in charge of a new world order, one where we become strong, truly strong, not for the sake of ourselves, tradition or blind obedience to the King, but for the sake of protecting the weak. That, Erza, is my vision for the future. Justice. Strength. Mercy. Solidarity."

"It's treason!" Erza snapped.

"That word, 'treason', is a label." Aizen said firmly. "You would be a traitor to the Gotei- but where you stand now, are you not a traitor to yourself? Are you not betraying what you know is right?"

Erza took a deep breath. He was right. But this was a monstrously huge idea, a change so radical she hadn't dared to even dream it. It was… impossible.  
"It can't be," she mumbled, shaking her heads, "they are too strong- too many. The captain-commander…"

"Erza," He said, with a comforting tone, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I would never attempt this if I did not know a way to make it work. The captain-commander's power is extraordinary- but I have made arrangements. I have Ichimaru, and I have Tosen. And, should you accept, you. This is a patient scheme- I have nurtured it for centuries. I have found a way to deal with everyone I need to."

"…would they need to die?" Erza asked uncertainly.

"No revolution is won without bloodshed, Erza," Aizen said gravely. "I would show mercy to those who surrendered- few of them had a choice when they were exposed to Gotei propaganda. But those who do not… I would have no choice but to tear down the foundations of the Gotei before rebuilding it."

"And how? Four of us- that would not go very far."

"What do you know of the arrancar, Erza?"

"They are hollows who have shed their masks and gained the power of a shinigami- no!" Erza gasped. "You have made a pact with _them_?"

"You would be surprised how many of them are like us, but shaped by an unforgiving world, in an existence without options. I have relations with them- only with select people who I know I can control."

"This… this is madness…" Erza mumbled. "Death, revolution, consorting with hollow?"

"When you are faced with a life-and-death situation, you do whatever you must to protect your friends," Aizen said calmly, "and to protect the innocent- the thousands upon thousands who suffer and die every day- I do as I must. Can you look upon this, and choose to serve the Gotei? To serve for the rest of your life this corrupt institution?"

"I- I don't know," Erza mumbled, "can I- can I think about this?"

"Take the time you need," Aizen said, smiling at her, "it is not a decision that should be made lightly. But I know you, Erza- I know you see why this must be done."

"Change," Erza mumbled. "We need change. But… is this the way, really?"

"I would like to see you in a week's time, Erza," Aizen said calmly. "Please give me your decision then. If you say no, then we shall speak nothing of this ever again, and your life goes on the same- you go on bending your back to those you know you should smite, not serve. Or you join me, and make a change that matters- one that will be remembered for eternity."

Erza just nodded, incapable of a coherent reply, and stood up, hastily making her way out of there.

Aizen watched her leave, allowing himself a victorious smirk. He had pushed every button there was to push- ones he had planted himself, others that were there naturally. Erza was a perfect candidate- Tosen claimed to be for justice, but Aizen had always suspected he was a hypocrite. Ichimaru was a psychopathic sadist with an urge to kill him, but very easy to control at that. Erza was different; she had what neither did- faith. A rock hard faith that good was good and evil was evil, that decency should prevail over cruelty and abuse. Right now, she was conflicted, still feeling that decency belonged with the cause she had sworn herself to- but she knew, and she was too upright to ignore what she had seen so far. Her own decency could lead her nowhere but to his side- and on the off chance that it didn't, it would be easy to frame her as a traitor. Things were coming along nicely.

"We 'bout done here?" It was the voice of Ichimaru, waiting out by the trees.

"Yes, Gin," Aizen said, feeling pleased, "we are done."

* * *

A lot was on her mind; she had no sleep that night, nor the next one after that- Erza went about her duties as normal, but the conversation she had had with her captain hung over everything she did, over every paper signed, every errand run, every hollow slain. Over and over, she would tell herself that it was madness, that it couldn't be done, that it was wrong… but no matter how she reasoned, every argument she made to herself felt like an excuse.  
It was a stunning relief, actually, when on the third day, she was sent out on a mission to the Rukongai. Simple work- second division had sniffed out a traitor, a man who had escaped a sentence of murder and theft, and hid away for decades. Finally he had made a mistake, letting himself get spotted, and it was her job to take him down, let him be processed by the justice system. If it were justice...  
She should take somebody with her, she decided. Even with a serious task on her mind, she had no desire to be alone- the more distractions, the better. A week would pass fast enough. After checking for available partners, her eyes stuck on Momo- Renji was out on patrol with Hisagi, and Kira was stuck with menial duties. Well, might as well take her, then- it would be a good experience for her, and not too dangerous so long as she stayed back. She was not a hothead like Renji; it should be fine.

So it was that, with Momo in tow, she soon found herself on the trail to district seven, where the man had last been seen- Kujira Sengi, the murderer and traitor, a truly vile man according to his case file. No more than a tenth seat in terms of strength and skill, too. That, at least, was a very clear and simple thing- a bad man who needed to be taken down and judged, for the safety of others.

After a good few hours of travel, with a few carefully considered bursts of shunpo to quickly cover ground, they approached the village where Sengi had last been seen. According to intelligence, which was no more than two days old, he had set up camp in a sizeable village right ahead, drinking away at a bar- where apparently he had been since.

"Sens- I mean Erza, won't it be dangerous?" Momo asked, huffing a little as she did her best to keep stride with Erza; the last sprint had taken a lot out of her. She was still young, Erza noticed, even though she sometimes forgot.

"It will be fine." Erza said dismissively. "You just watch, and stay back when I move in. If I need backup, I will let you know."

"It's, uh, a bit… nervous." Momo admitted. "I mean, I've never…"

"Momo," Erza said, stopping and looking her in the eye, "you are a shinigami now, not a student. These kinds of missions are things you will need to do in the future. This will be good experience for you."

"Of-of course," Momo said, nodding. "I didn't mean to, um-"

"No need to fuss," Erza said, starting to walk again. "Our target is said to be in the local pub. If he's not, we can probably pay for information- this is a pretty orderly district, and types like him aren't welcome here."  
_Because a lot of rich people live here,_ Erza thought, _and that's also why we got sent here so quickly._  
No. None of that, not now.

The two of them quietly made their way into the town pub- well, the largest one; this village was large and rich with people, unlike the ones you found out in the poorer districts. It was as good a place as any. As she walked in, she motioned for Momo to stay by the doorway while she went about her business. She looked around- the place was well lit, and looked clean and solidly built. There were tables and benches all around, and even a few luxurious booths, and though the air was thick with chatter, laughter and merriment, there were no fights, no screaming, no rough-housing… this really was a different kind of place. In no small part, she suspected, due to the two very serious-looking, muscular men standing near the doorway, whose frames practically screamed confidence- if their posture could speak, it would probably say 'there _could_ be trouble. None right now, and there won't be, because we're all friends here. But if you want trouble… no, you don't want trouble'.

But Erza wasn't concerned with the architecture of the building, or its security detail- no, she had come here with a mission. She took a quick peek at the wanted poster she had been given- a harsh, long face with a thin mouth, and a scar at his left cheek. She looked around, as inconspicuously as she could- she was painfully aware of how much her shinigami uniform stood out. Moving slowly towards the bar itself, she tried to get a view of him- there were merchants, some rich gentlemen, even a few nobles, and a good lot of people who looked like craftsmen, workers… there was a whole potpourri of different social classes here, but she couldn't see the likeness of that criminal anywhere. Sighing, she ordered a simple drink of water, and had a look around. There was over a hundred people in here, and…

Well, hang on a second. Where would you sit if you were a cautious type, somebody who might need to run away quickly? Either close to the entrance- or better yet, close to the back exit. Carefully taking a bit of a walk around the premises, ignoring a catcall or two, she could see no back entrance at all- so if you were inside this pub, you'd want to either sit close to a big window, or the entrance. She turned back toward the entrance, and carefully scanned the place with her eyes. Seven tables she could see, close enough to a quick exit. She walked closer, keeping an eye out- some sat turned away from her, or with a cap on, or a hood…  
Then she caught it, a glance of a scarred face, sitting just two tables away from the exit. Hoping she hadn't flinched, she moved closer, as if walking over just naturally. But as she walked closer, he sprung from his seat, toward the exit. Damn it! Her uniform was way too obvious- he had probably been looking for a way out from the moment she got in.

"There he is!" She cried out, as she ran after him. Momo stepped in his way- stupid, brave Momo- pointing her finger, starting to mouth a kido spell… but he was fast, too fast, and barreled into her, twisting Momo's arm behind her back, getting behind her. From his belt, he pulled out a short sword, concealed under his clothes. Momo yelped, struggling against him- but she stopped when she felt the blade against her throat.

Erza had already drawn her own sword, the moment she had seen him reach for his own.

"Let her go!" She demanded in her most authoritative tone. "Kujira Sengi, you are under arrest! Let go of her, or you make things worse for yourself in the end!"

"Yeah?" Kujira said, his eyes wild and his tone trembling with rage, with fear, with uncertainty. "That so? Because the way I'm looking at it, she's my only leverage right now."

"Let her go and fight me one on one," Erza said, slowly moving toward him, as he began to back out of the pub, still holding on to Momo.

"Fight you? You're a high ranking soldier. I don't think so," Kujira said, continuing to slowly back away, out on to the street. The entire pub was watching them now, hundreds of eyes on them all at once.

"If you know I'm much stronger, then you know you can't run away either," Erza said, hoping to reason with him. This was bad- Momo was inexperienced, she might do something stupid… or he might. He didn't look calm at all, and frightened people and weapons was not a good combination. "You can't kill her, because if you do, you lose your leverage. And if that happens… whatever gods there are have mercy on you." She scowled, her tone ice cold. "And for as long as you hold her, you can't move anywhere fast enough to escape me."

"You put that sword away or I'll cut her throat!" Kujira sneered.

"No, you won't," Erza said, hoping dearly that she was right, "leverage, remember? This is not going to end well, no matter what you do. Cut your losses. Give up, and I'll recommend an easier sentence. Prison, not death."

"So I choose between being killed, or put in a cage for the rest of my life?" Kujira snarled. "I don't fucking think so!" He grazed the blade against Momo's neck, and she yelped as it drew blood.

"I'm- I'm sorry, Erza," She managed.

"It's not your fault," Erza said.

"I'm still here," Kujira said, still looking erratic, "and you know what? I don't like my options. So maybe I just kill her, and get a clean death here and now. Maybe that's my best option, yeah?"

"You could try," Erza said. She felt that sinking feeling, like her heart was falling out of her chest- Momo couldn't die. That was not acceptable, not under any circumstance. Not after how she had saved her that first time, not after how close she had become with her, how she had let her in… she couldn't stand it. Not again. _Never again_.  
It was funny how time could slow down sometimes, how a second could feel like an hour. In the span of two seconds, a hundred thoughts raced through Erza's head-  
She couldn't kill him. It was not the Fairy Tail way, it was wrong.  
_But there's no choice._  
Doing that would change who she was forever. Could she really- could she look herself in the mirror after that?  
_But there really is no choice._  
Maybe she could do something else. Desperately, she tried to think of some fantastical, outlandish stroke of luck, where Momo got free-  
_But there's no time, and no choice._  
No! It couldn't be; this couldn't be the way she turned out, it was- she knew right from wrong, and…  
_But what would life be like without Momo? Knowing she had let her down, too?_

Silently, her sword changed, turning into a spear.

"Momo, close your eyes," Erza said firmly. "Trust in me, and close your eyes."

Momo took a deep breath, and obeyed.

"Well, it's a fight now!" Kujira growled, and raised his sword, aiming to stab down into Momo's neck-

And time moved in slow motion. She could see the tip of the blade moving downward, a millimeter at a time, and her arm raised, lightning fast yet so, so slow…  
One shot. One shot was all she had, and if it went wrong, she wouldn't just have failed Momo- she would have killed her. But if she didn't take the shot, she would be dead.  
_Sometimes, the only choices you have are bad ones, but you still have to choose._

Erza's arm lunged out, with all the strength and precision she could muster.

Momo could feel the criminal's grip around her loosen, let go, and he dropped down to the ground behind her. Quickly, she looked behind her. He lay there, in a growing pool of blood, Erza's spear jammed into his skull, at least a foot if its length having gone through it. The spear dissolved, and Momo looked back at Erza, as she wordlessly sheathed her sword, an empty, glassy look on her face.  
Momo could feel tears stream down her cheeks, relief, joy- and concern, for Erza. Quickly, she raced to her, hugging her close. She seemed surprised at first, then clumsily returned her embrace.

"I… killed him," Erza mumbled. "He's- he's dead, because I- because I killed him…"

"You saved me!" Momo said, loud and clear, looking into Erza's eyes. "I'd be dead without you- that's what matters, Erza! You did what you had to do!"

"Yes," Erza mumbled.

"Don't let this get you down," Momo said reassuringly, "I mean, he was… a murderer. He was about to kill me. People like that don't deserve any mercy, do they? When you sink that low-"

"Who the hell are you to make that decision?" Erza snapped, taking a step back. "Who the hell are you, or I, to make a decision like that?"

Momo blinked, and sounding uncertain, she said, "…an officer, Erza. Shinigami. You had the right- the mission said dead or alive, and… under the law, you were right."

"To hell with the law," Erza said darkly. "Nobody should have that power over anybody. It should never be- never be!"

"Erza," Momo said softly, "people are killed every day. Sometimes you have to kill to save other people. There's no other way around it, I'm sorry."

"A last resort, maybe!" Erza shot back. "But this… I should never have left you alone."

"You had no choice. It _was_ a last resort," Momo said firmly, "and beating yourself up about it isn't going to change that."

"…whatever," Erza mumbled, staring into the ground. She had raised her voice to Momo, just because she herself had been in shock, because she had killed somebody… it wasn't fair.  
"Let's just, uh, go home, all right?" Erza said uneasily. "I'm- I'm okay. I'm not mad."

"You're not okay," Momo said, "but… yes, let's go back."

* * *

Things went back to normal easy enough- as normal as they could be, considering. Erza had feared Momo would be traumatized, that maybe she would resent her for the way she had acted- but she seemed to bounce back well enough. A day, two days passed, and Erza took what missions she could to distract herself- from what conflicted her, from the fact that she was now a killer, from everything. In the process, she even slayed a Gillian Menos, in a particularly vicious incursion in the soul society…  
She had grown in strength. For her valour, she was given a pat on the shoulder and a day off- something she normally would have welcomed, but now… she did not want to be alone with her mind. It was like a fever, like a spectre haunting her every thought, an apparition of accusation and guilt. She was not used to that feeling. She did not _want_ that feeling.

Which was why her free day was spent, until lunch, doing nothing but training- working her muscles till they were sore, until her vision went blurry, until she was starting to feel exhausted. Only then, panting and struggling to breathe, did it feel better. But a shower and a change later, the spectre was back, and it was only good luck that lunch was up next- lunch, with Momo again. She could be relied on, at least, to distract her- she could forget for just a few minutes how corrupt the men in charge were, and be reminded that her fellow soldiers were good people- good and decent, like Momo.

The lunch itself was a simple affair. The two of them sat by a simple restaurant near their division, pragmatic and simple as a soldier's kitchen should be. Noodles it was for the both of them, and Erza dug in- but found little in the ways of an appetite.

"So…" she started, almost a little desperate to find something to talk about.

"I know what you're thinking," Momo said, swallowing down a mouthful of noodles.

"You do?" Erza said nervously. She very much doubted it, but the very thought of being found out…

"You look all weird and tense," Momo said, nodding, "you're all… off. Something's obviously on your mind."

"That visible, huh?" Erza said, shifting in her seat.

"You never killed anyone before, did you?" Momo said quietly. "Sorry, I mean- if you're all right, talking about it…"

"No, no," Erza mumbled. Of course; what else would it be? "Go on."

"When I first started school, we all knew you were this tough, cool veteran who had been through so much," Momo said, her tone gentle. "It didn't occur to any of us that you never killed anybody before. But that's why you were so upset, wasn't it?"

"How do you figure?"

"You're a very good person, Erza," Momo said brightly, "you care about what is right and what is wrong, and you know what it is. You've been a shinigami for many years, too. So… if you react to that, for having taken the life of somebody like him… I couldn't think of any other reason."

"Well, you're right," Erza mumbled, "I still remember what it was when I was alive. I had friends, a whole… family of people who I loved, who loved me, who took me in from when I was a little girl. They taught me everything, about friends, about what I could and couldn't do…"

"They taught you not to kill," Momo nodded, "and because you were very strong and very good, you never had to. Is that right?"

"It is," Erza said, nodding. "I was in a guild… and it was close, many times, but I never had to kill. But… I'm starting to think that maybe I was just lucky."

"Lucky?" Momo said quizzically.

"Yes," Erza said, nodding, "lucky. Because it was close, many times before. I fought with a power not a lot of people could rival, and I fought people who were just as strong, or stronger. It almost seems miraculous that nobody really died. But… sometimes, you don't have a choice. I am starting to see that now."

"Yes…" Momo said cautiously, "sometimes, you don't. But still…"

"It's a last resort, of course," Erza said hastily. "If there was any other way…"

"But there wasn't."

"You know," Erza mumbled, sighing, "I imagined the world without you in it, and I couldn't bear it. It hurt just thinking about it. So I killed that man to save you, and… it feels like I did it for myself. A killer, because I wanted not to lose something- someone- who made me feel good…"

"That's ridiculous!" Momo snapped. "You did something bad, but it was a great thing at the same time!"

"I don't feel very great," Erza said flatly.

"You changed who you are, just to save me. That's… you are one of the best people I know, Erza, and I won't stand for you calling that 'selfish'!"

Erza leaned back, and smiled. Momo really was something else- so passionately honest, under that meek surface.

"You're right," She said, feeling a little better, "thanks, Momo."

"No problem," Momo said, emphatically taking another mouthful of noodles, almost as if assaulting it.

"Momo… why did you join the Gotei?" Erza asked.

Momo chewed, swallowed, and gave her a look. "What do you mean?"

"I noticed that a lot of people here…" How would she put this? It would sound weird- judgmental, even. "A lot of people who come here, to become shinigami, they only seem to care about themselves. I came here because I wanted to help, but… I'm way up on a third seat, and I can't do very much to help anybody, and most of everyone just seems interested in, in… in making money, in the next fight, in the next day off when they can get drunk, in making a career." She sighed. "Sometimes, I feel like nobody remembers where they came from, the villages they leave behind and the people in them… and that's why I ask. You don't have to answer."

"I didn't want people to feel afraid," Momo said.

"What?"

"When you have power, out there… you are a danger to others unless you learn to use it," Momo said solemnly. "I loved the people out there- my gran, and Shiro-chan, and everyone else… but when you're strong, sometimes hollows come to seek you out. Or other people, who want to do no good. Sometimes, the best way to protect others is to leave. It sounds weird, but that's why I left. I wanted to learn to be as good as I could be, and help them all back home from a distance. That's what you did, wasn't it?"

"I never thought about it that way," Erza said ponderously. "To me, it just seemed I had to be there, for them, always… because what if I wasn't? They practically had to drag me to the academy."

"But you help them, by sending money back. I do that too," Momo said, nodding.

"That's good, yes," Erza said.

"Was that what you wanted when you joined, Erza? To help the people back home? You're already doing that- why so glum?"

"Um… what I _want_," Erza said evasively, "uh, that's… it's complicated. I guess you could say… I want more than just buying a bit of safety for one village. I want… I really want everyone out there to live their lives the way they want to, without having to worry."

"That's a nice idea," Momo nodded, "But… you can see that you can't protect everyone all the time, right?"

"No," Erza said, shaking her head, "but… I think we could do way better than what we do now. If we just tried."

"How?" Momo asked. This was a dangerous question- she had said enough already.

"Never mind that," Erza said, trying- and probably failing- to sound glib. "We have a lunch to finish- and after that, why don't we go take a trip to the bath house, or something? I could use a bit of relaxation."

"…all right, sure," Momo said, sounding perplexed, but still cheery. "We'll do that."

Just at her mind's horizon, the spectre loomed.

* * *

One more thing happened that week worthy of notice. On the sixth day of running, hiding, distracting herself, Erza was sent to the twelfth division- paperwork, requiring the signature of its captain for some reason or the other- she didn't even bother to ask what for. The place always made her uneasy, ever since that last time when she had witnessed its brute of a captain abuse his 'daughter' like she were some… _thing_.  
Perversely enough, she almost reveled in that uneasiness- as uncomfortable as that was, it was less oppressive than knowing she had to give Aizen an answer… and knowing that when she had to give it, she already knew what it had to be. That when she did, nothing would ever be the same again.

So it was that she marched herself down the dank and dimly lit hallways of the science and research institute, down under the ground. It was a massive complex, she realized, closed off from all unauthorized members- she was let in only on the signature of her captain. Then, she had been pointed in the general direction of where Kurotsuchi, that foul man, would be… and it had taken her only ten minutes or so to get lost. She wandered around for perhaps half an hour or so, trying to find her way- lost, but mostly just irritated that somebody would build an underground complex with a distinct lack of clear direction signs or maps.  
It was then, in the midst of a building frustration, that she came upon a door. Somewhat opened, it had a simple sign on it, that read:  
SAMPLE 16

Upon closer inspection, it read also, 'under the supervision of chief researcher Kurotsuchi Mayuri'.

Well. It was no office, by the looks of it- but where might you find a researcher if not in a lab? It was worth looking at. Slowly, she opened the door, and stepped inside. It was brightly lit; there was a squeaky clean floor, a messy table full of notes and various odd tools, scalpels, screws, drills-  
But then her eyes travelled across the room, all of it, past the normal, expected things… and she saw it all. Everything.

Strapped to a metal table was a body, skinny and frail. Its stomach and chest had been carved open, two large flaps of skin neatly cut up and held in the air by hooks from the ceiling. There was blood on the floor, spilled in little drops, and soiled surgical appliances on a small portable table next to it. It was- had been- a man once, it seemed. It lay there on the table, naked except for a simple pair of pants, and Erza fought the urge to vomit. His fingers were broken, some of them severed. One arm had been cut open, stripped of its flesh, the bone laying naked to the air… with colourful little tags attached all over it. Both feed had been surgically removed- and the wounds had healed too, leaving a scar. For how long had this poor man been here, trapped inside this lab? Erza stumbled, shocked by the sheer horror of the sight, and put a hand on the table near the door to keep herself stable.

She took a few deep breaths, a hand clasped over her mouth. Dear god! How long had this gone on? Was this what they did? Was it Kurotsuchi's ploy, or…  
The racing of her mind was interrupted, as she saw a journal lying there, a thick file of papers. Her fingers trembling, she picked it up. Against all better judgment, she opened it. She flipped through the pages- there were notes there, pictures of the man as he had been when first brought there, casual remarks of how he responded to pain, how his spiritual particles changed…  
From one picture to another, she saw his degradation. A quincy subject, the journal said, captured and brought in from research. Slowly, over time, being reduced from a soul, a person, to… that. No- it was clear that whoever wrote this- Kurotsuchi, of course- never thought of him as a person at all. A subject, an item, something to pick at and see what made it tick.

Then, when she was reading, her minds peering into the monstrous depths of the monster who had done this, suddenly she heard a breath- a deep, sudden breath. She jerked, dropping the journal, almost jumping into the air. She looked around- had somebody seen her? Had he come back, that monster of a man?  
No- nobody was around. It was empty…

Then she heard the breath again, and there was no doubting it. The corpse was alive. Trembling with every step, she walked closer. In the flayed-open chest cavity, she could see his lungs heave, move up and down as he took one breath after another. Finally, it was too much- Erza collapsed to her knees, retching, throwing up her lunch all over the floor. For at least a minute, maybe two, she heaved. Feeling violently sick, she finally wiped her mouth with her sleeve, feeling the bitter taste of gall in her mouth. She struggled up to her feet, breathing heavily. The poor bastard was _alive_.

"Kill… me…"  
In disbelief, Erza heard the voice, quiet and raspy, weak and robbed of all power to do more than whisper.

"No, no," she mumbled, "no, it can't be…"

"Kill… me." The voice entreated. Erza walked closer, looking at his face. It was pale, hopeless, with a glimmer of desperation as the only sense of emotion left in his eyes. "Please. Just… let me… die…"

Erza staggered back. This was _sample sixteen_. How many more were there? She had to go- she couldn't stand another second of this. No- no running, she couldn't leave him- but she couldn't take him with her, he wouldn't survive, he was in no position to be moved…  
What could she do? What could she _do_?

Acting as quickly as she could, she stumbled over to the table, feverishly and desperately looking for some way of freeing him. He was in no state to be moved- but damn it all, she couldn't leave him here, she couldn't leave knowing she hadn't even tried to help. Clutching at the shackle around his wrist, she tugged and tugged to no avail- the chains were iron, and charged with enough reiatsu to make them stronger by far than her own grip. Desperately, she tugged harder and harder, her fingers digging into the flesh of the poor quincy as she tried to get a grip on the shackles, wrench them off-  
Then she heard a long, unmistakable 'beeeep', and next to the table she saw it- a heart monitoring machine, flatlining. In shock, she looked at it, at the wires leading between it and the quincy. One wire had been knocked from his socket, without her even noticing it, just by her feet. His life support has been cut, and mercifully, the poor man was now rapidly dying- or dead already.

With a sense of desperation, Erza looked around. There were some glass jars in the corner, she saw- chemicals with unpronounceable names, and a flame hazard sign. Not even thinking, she grabbed two, emptying their contents across the floor, with the desperate jerking movements of a madwoman. The liquids left a clear, sharp stink, but Erza barely even registered it. As if in a dream, she stepped back to the doorway, and raise her hand, holding her palm out towards the Quincy on the table.

"Oh lord," she mumbled, muttering the words through her teeth, "mask of flesh and bone, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man, truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams, unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hado number thirty-three: sokatsui!"  
Kido was never her strong suit, but a fully chanted spell like this was no problem. Supercharged by her flaring reiatsu, the blue flames shot out, hitting the Quincy square in the chest, disintegrating him in seconds. In a matter of seconds, the lab was in flames, and Erza turned and ran. How she got out, she wasn't sure- but somehow, she later found herself far away from twelfth, out of breath and still in shock.

* * *

Not even bothering to report back, Erza walked out and away, outside the walls, her mind burning with the images of what she had just seen. She could still hear that raspy, desperate voice, begging to die; when she closed her eyes she could see his lungs heaving before her eyes, his broken body opened like a sack of wheat…  
Somehow, without even thinking, she wound up at the graveyard, sitting before the final resting place of her three comrades- Remon, Sensuke, and Marisa. She sat there well into the night, just trying to make sense of the world. What kind of place was this that she had joined? Trained to be a part of for five years, served for many more? A bureaucratic tyranny without a care for justice, with a place of nightmares like _that_ under their very noses? Was this what it had all been for, all that energy she had spent, the time she had invested in the hopes of making life better for herself and those she cared about? Feeling bile rise to her throat, she thought of her every last accomplishment- every hollow slain, every soul saved, every mission carried out, every commendation she had got, every promotion, every last pay check…

It was all poisoned. All of it had been in the name of _that_.  
Desperately, she tried to reason- maybe they didn't know? Maybe Kurotsuchi had run this whole thing without anybody knowing? It was possible. But no matter how she tried, she couldn't make herself believe it, no matter how much she wanted it.  
She had thought to be something like a hero. She never really _meant_ to be heroic; she wasn't one to relish the spotlight just for doing what was right… but what she had meant to do, that was something people would call heroic. Making a difference. But now, no matter how she looked at it, she could only feel that she was a villain- a thug, a low-ranking brute enforcer of a corrupt and cruel organization. No, no- that had to be exaggeration, but… was it?  
Aizen. He had sent her there. He had wanted her to see that, make her feel all of this. He had done this to her!

Resolutely, Erza got up, and under the pale moonlight she sped away back towards the Gotei, towards the fifth division's headquarters. She was not expected to answer till tomorrow morning- but she was in no mood to wait.

It was well past midnight when Aizen felt her reiatsu fast approaching his office. Inwardly, he smirked- everything had gone exactly as he had expected. He hadn't even needed to create an illusion about the twelfth division- Kurostuchi's experiments were well known to him, and they were all a scene of horror. No matter where she had gone, she would have seen what he needed her to see.

"AIZEN!" Erza barked, as she slid the doors open, barging into his office. She looked a mess; her clothes were singed, her hair was all over the place, and she had dirt and sweat all over her.

"You seem upset," Aizen said calmly, walking up and closing the doors behind them. "By all means, do tell me what is on your mind."

"You sent me there," Erza said under her breath, "you sent me down there. Why? Did you want me to say yes so badly?"

"I will not deny it," Aizen said, sitting down again. Of course, had he meant to truly manipulate her, it would not have been that obvious- this, too, was according to his will.  
"You ask me 'why'. Is it not obvious? I showed you the truth, Erza, and the truth hurts."

"You…" Erza said, trembling with what had to be a little bit of rage- at him, at herself, at everything- and mostly a spirit in the process of being crushed. Good material for being rebuilt in a shape pleasing to him.

"For the longest time, you were made to believe you served a just and noble cause," Aizen said, removing his glasses, "and it's all too easy to believe. Almost anyone will want to believe what they do is right, whether it actually is or not. I have destroyed that illusion, just like mine was, because I owe you- and the whole of soul society- something better. Tell me, Erza, did I set that lab up? Did I craft some elaborate lie, to convince you? Or did it just confirm what you already suspected? That, I think, is what has made you angry."

"I am angry, yes," she said under her breath, almost hissing the words out.

"Good," Aizen said, nodding, "nobody should see what you have seen and not feel a righteous anger. But ask yourself, who are you angry with? Me- or yourself?"

"I am angry- angry with Kurotsuchi!" Erza spat. "That monster of a man, that, that- that beast, he's-"

"Employed by our superiors- who, I suspect, know all too well what he has done."

"…I want to burn it down," Erza said viciously. "That entire complex. Every sample he has. _Everything_ destroyed. He has no right to that knowledge, not with how he has gotten it!"

Aizen resisted the urge to smile; the hate in her voice was so clear, so passionate and strong.  
"An understandable desire," he said, "but perhaps not so prudent. What would you do- march there, break in and destroy it all? How long before he takes you- perhaps putting you on his table, too?"

Erza balled her fist, and slammed it onto his desk, cracking it in two.  
"I can't let it go on," she hissed through her teeth. "He had one man there- a half-dead corpse, and he had done… _terrible_ things to him. I burnt it all, but- but it was one of sixteen! And who knows how many more?!"

"I got the report, yes," Aizen said. "I covered for you, by the way- there will be no evidence linking you to the crime."

"Crime?" Erza said, something odd in her voice, like something had just broken. "_Crime_?"

"Under Gotei law, you would be responsible for an act of terrorism, I believe," Aizen said, feeling almost gleeful, "treason, perhaps, if the courts were so inclined. Gross destruction of property at the least."

"I gave him mercy," Erza breathed.

"Mercy is a crime under the law, then," Aizen said. "Tell me, can you look at this and not see that it needs changing?"

"It does!" Erza burst out. "It needs to go- the law needs to be changed, the whole damn society needs to change!"

"Then join me," Aizen said, feeling triumphant, "join me, and together we will bring balance to this world. We will rule this world together, creating a just and righteous place- one where corruption is purged, where science is done under a code of ethics, where the poor need not fear the rich. Can you tell me you do not want this, Erza?"

Erza breathed heavily. "I… I don't know what I want?"

Aizen leaned back in his chair. She did know, without a doubt, but she was still afraid- afraid to face the implications of having served the Gotei, knowing now what it stood for. Best not to push.  
"The decision is always yours," he said, in a calm, soothing voice, "if you want to continue on as before, I will never speak of it to you again. But know this- you will not find it easy to resign. You cannot leave the Gotei- once you swear allegiance to them, then you are either their ally or their enemy."

There was a look of disbelief on Erza, and she stood quiet for several minutes. He could almost _hear_ her beliefs shattering, her comfortable image of the life she had led finally reduced to rubble. It filled him with delight. Keeping himself in control, he kept quiet, staring into her eyes.

"Do you swear?" She finally said.

"Swear what?" He said curiously.

"Do you swear to make things better? Without- without killing… without killing more people than you need to?"

"I do," Aizen said, nodding affirmatively, "although… yes, I noticed- you accepted that we would need to kill on the way, to reach our goal?"

"Sometimes, you have no choice," Erza mumbled, "I see that now. I can't go through life with a sword and expect nobody to get hurt. I'm not that foolish. Not anymore."

"Good."

"But you must promise me!" She said insistently, almost desperately, "promise me, that what we do will make this a better world!"

"It will take time and patience," he said, slowly and deliberately, "but yes. I promise- when we are done, we will have created a better world. Swear your allegiance to me, and that is what I will give you. And in return, you will obey me, and help me build this new world order."

She stood quiet, a hopeless look on her face.

"…I'll do it." She finally mumbled, staring down into the floor. "I'll join you. I'll- I'll swear to you."

Inwardly, Aizen smiled widely. Just as planned.

* * *

**INAPPROPRIATELY TIMED OMAKE TIME**

The floor was littered with the corpses of fallen Jedi masters, and Darth Speculo stood tall, putting his menacing hood up over his face, his red light saber deactivating.

"Can you not see, Erza Scarlet, that the jedi order is corrupt?" He said calmly.

"No!" Erza said, trying to will herself to raise her weapon against her enemy.

"Join me, and together we shall bring balance to the force," He said, extending a hand towards her, "together, we will rule this galaxy! Take my hand, and we will rule this empire together, as master and apprentice!"

"…yes," jedi knight Erza said, falling to her knee, "I will join you… master Aizen."

"I name you… Darth Crimson," the sith lord said, cackling contentedly, "arise, my apprentice, and fulfill your DESTINY!"

And that was how Darth Crimson was born, conqueror of stars and definitely not a whiny Hayden Christensen.

* * *

**Wow, quite a lot happened in this one huh? Erza having to take her first life, finding out the true horrors of the 12th division, and, finally, joining forces with Aizen! Yeah, bet NONE of you saw THAT coming did ya?**

**I do hope you all enjoyed the omake. I sure did. Expect more of those in the future.**

**Now, Erza taking a life...We all know that in cannon she possibly wouldn't be able to find the will power to do such a thing. I say POSSIBLY because I know that Erza values her friends more than even her own life, so if it was the ONLY choice, its not outside the realm of possibility. Add to the fact that she has been through a lot more crap than cannon Erza (Her death of her classmates just to name one)and is even MORE protective of her friends, this odds of this happening increase.**

**But, to the readers who think she made the descion too quickly and hasn't put enough thought into it, or that she got over it too quicly...just wait for the next chapter.**

**Also, Erza beating a Gillian off screen...Yeah, sorry, just didn't feel important enough to add to the story. Its cool yes, but it dosnt move the plot along. I just wanted you to all be aware that she CAN do that now.**

**But now that Erza of all people has decided to join up with Aizen, and after seeing what she saw in the 12 division...can you blame her? I cant stand the fact that the gotie 13 just lets mayrui do that kind of thing...and worse. Sad thing is really is that's CANNON. Mayuri may be on the side of the "good guys" but he is no saint. He's a monster. A smart monster who admittedly had a cool moment (he speech on perfection) but a monster non the less. (I don't even need to bring up poor Nemu now do I?) I just cant overlook the horrible things hes done. **

**If you like him, that's fine...I just cant. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I sure know that I did. Please leave a review on what you thought about this chapter. Reviews always give me more inspiration to continue to have this story continue and I LOVE the feedback, be it positive or negative.**


	17. Pandemonium

**Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima, Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. I own nothing.**

**A special thank you to Greatkingrat88 for writing this.**

**Ah July. I'm very hopeful for how good this month will be. I sure hope its good for all of you too. I'm sure you'll all enjoy this chapter, a lot of hard thought and work went into this.**

**Thanks again for reading. Please feel free to leave any reviews that you want, be it positive or negative. **

* * *

The very next day, Erza found herself in the dark gloom of a palace in a world of black and white. No- it was not gloomy; it was a resplendently lit place, with a moon forever staring down on it, not a cloud to be seen- but it was colourless, lifeless, so unlike any place she had ever seen before. She had in her patrols both out in the

Rukongai and the world of the living seen desolate places- steppes, deserts, dead forests, rocky mountains…  
But they had all had colour, and hints of life. This place was dead, completely dead. This place was Las Noches, a palace at the heart of Hueco Mundo, the aptly named 'hollow world'. The home realm of the hollows, ranging from the smallest beast hollow to the mighty Vasto Lorde, known to her only as a legend, a bedtime story for shinigami.

Here they were in what looked like a throne room, Aizen standing next to her looking up at the throne itself, while the pale moonlight shone through a window, bathing the room in its dead light. Along with them were Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tosen. She had initially been surprised that such an upright, just captain would have joined them- but then again, she had reminded herself, was that not why she had come here herself?

"How do you like it?" Aizen said, somewhat amusedly.

"It's very… large." Erza said nervously. She wasn't sure what to make of it. If not for the unnerving moonlight, for how everything looked black and white- even her skin looked pale in this light, far too pale- it would have looked all right, if a little bit pompous. As it was, it looked alien, cold, like the home of a mountain king, some legendary beast that looked down upon all else. Which, given where they were, wasn't impossible.

"This is my palace," Aizen said, taking his glasses off.  
It appeared he didn't need them at all- part of his deception. It occurred to her that almost nobody knew who he really was. How lonely must he not have been, pretending for so long?  
"I can see it does not appeal to you," he continued, looking at Erza. "I will not blame you."

"It's, er, it's fine," Erza said, trying to sound convincing. "It's um, very grand. Impressive, really."

"Erza, please," Aizen said, smiling, "you could not lie to me to save your life. But it's kind of you to try."

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "It's just…"

"So lifeless? So harsh and cold? So… everything we are not?"

"Well, when you put it like that…" Erza murmured. "Then yes. Yes, you could say that, actually."

"I thought the same when I first saw it," Aizen said, nodding. "Harsh and barren, lifeless… but with time, you start to see a sort of rugged beauty to it. A place where only the strong can survive, where all luxuries and comforts have been stripped away, where loyalty exists only if cunning and power and fear can make it exist…"

"It sounds horrible." Erza said firmly.

"It is, certainly," Aizen said affirmatively, "but it's a good reminder. Because this world is a reflection of its inhabitants, created by the flow of souls. It is a mirror of the soul society- what it would be like without compassion, without love, without honesty and truth."

"I hadn't thought of it that way…" Erza said ponderously.

"Thing is, 's also a right good place to hide," Ichimaru said, smiling the same evil smile as always, "almost nobody comes here what ain't a hollow, y'see, and almost nobody even knows how you can go back an' forth between it. Ideal base, you might say,"

"That too is true," Aizen said, shooting Gin a look, "but poetry and practicality need not exclude each other."

"How do you actually get in here?" Erza asked. "It's supposed to be impossible."

"Its secret is well guarded. Hollows do it instinctively… suffice to say I found a method that imitates it to perfection. I would explain, but you wouldn't understand- it's a matter of science, and I do not want to bore you with technical jargon you could not understand."

"…I see," Erza said, and nodded. "So… um, did you build this place?"

Aizen let out a small chuckle. "No- I am not an engineer or an architect, and building it would take millennia. Hollows built this- their best and brightest, over tens of thousands of years."

"Really?" Erza said, with surprise. "Hollows… building?"

"It is all too simple to think they are mere beasts," Aizen said, nodding, "and indeed, most of them are. But those who rise above the rank of Menos are intelligent, and ambitious… they have had kings and queens in their time, Erza, and built great things- and razed them again. This palace, this _Las Noches_ was started seven thousand years ago by Hollow King Xantika, then abandoned and restarted and abandoned and restarted for millennia, until their current so-called king had it finished. Since then, I took possession of it. I did some… redecorating, but left it mostly intact."

"You 'took possession'?" Erza asked, frowning. "You stole it from them?"

"The laws are different here, Erza," Aizen said calmly. "There is no sense of right and wrong, no sense of good and evil. There are no rights, no laws to protect the weak, no schools of thought that bring forth the idea that being nice to people is a good idea. Out here, the weak _die_, and only the strong prevail. The fast, the strong, the cunning, the ruthless- those win. Imagine the worst in yourself, the worst you could possibly be, and imagine it turned up and warped a thousand times, and you would see something approaching the culture of this place. Kindness is something they would not understand- barring just a few. I could not have negotiated or bartered for this place. The one and only thing they respect is strength- so I let the hollows know who was stronger."

"The worst in myself. The worst in _yourself_." Erza said quietly. "Why would you want any part of this?"

"It is as Ichimaru said," Aizen said, shrugging, "it is a very useful place. That… and I dare believe that some of these hollows are not beyond redemption. I dare believe that, no matter how impossible it seems, maybe it doesn't always have to be this way."

"You're mad!" Erza burst out. "The hollows- they are evil! They kill people and eat them, they kill each other- you said it yourself, violence is all they understand!"

"So you say." He looked inscrutable, perfectly calm, unfazed by her outburst, "But do you think we always believed in right and wrong as we know it today? There was a time when we believed that murdering a man's brother in retaliation for one of your own being killed was justice. Tell me Erza, is that justice?"

"Of course not!"

"But still, there was a time when this was believed. Yet, somewhere along the line, somebody saw it for the obvious injustice it was, and dared believe something that went against everything he was taught. He dared believe it, enough that he dared protest. And little by little, one by one, others followed in his path. How can we ever expect things to change, Erza, if we dare not believe the impossible first?"

"…it's mad, and I don't understand," Erza said, shaking her head, "but… I trust you." She sighed. "So, what's next- you show me around this palace?"

"That would take months, I think," Aizen said, "no, I think I would like to show you the few I have gathered who have potential. Those who will be our finest soldiers in the war to come- and the best hope that Hueco Mundo has. Erza, come meet my Vasto Lorde."

Erza swallowed. Vasto Lorde, in the flesh… hesitantly, she followed Aizen, as he led her out of the throne room, through the halls of Las Noches.

"Vasto Lorde…" Erza mumbled, feeling in between excited and terrified. They were creatures of legend, the very highest form of hollow evolution, monstrous creatures so terrifying they were said to outmatch most captains… she would be mincemeat if she fought, and the only thing protecting her, and outsider, would be Aizen. She trusted him, to be sure- but the thought was no more appealing for it.

"What do you know of them?" Aizen asked.

"They're uh, the strongest," Erza murmured, "they don't… they don't seem to know a whole lot about them, when I learned in school,"

"Likely because few have seen one up close. It's a curious fact that the further up the evolutionary ladder a hollow goes… the more like a human it becomes. A Vasto Lorde has been known to develop… honour, personal philosophies, even empathy. They look more like humans, too- not much bigger than you or I,"

"I'd honestly have liked it better if they were the size of a building and had claws the size of my sword. That's an expectation I can deal with," Erza said, through gritted teeth.

"You will see that they are not so different soon enough," Aizen said. They turned a corner, and he stopped, opening a door. Erza peered inside. The place was well-lit, with light quite unlike the dull and lifeless moon outside, and it was well furnished- a couch, beds, chairs…  
And of course, people sitting on them. Hollows. Almost breathless, she walked inside alongside Aizen, her mouth gaping a little as she took them in. There was a centaur-like beast with long, green hair and a goat's skull for a face, with great curved horns jutting out, and cloven hooves as feet. A lance seemed to be part of its right arm naturally. It sat on its hind quarters, quite at ease, looking Aizen's way as he entered.

There was a hollow who almost looked like a man, slender and not very tall- black legs that could have looked like pants at a distance, and a bone-white upper body. Just as bone-white was its mask- which, eerily enough, didn't look like a mask at all- just like if somebody had cut off its face to reveal an almost flat, white surface under it. But its eyes were so different- a clear green, staring right into her mind.

The third one was unmistakably female. She had, on her grey-white body, the unmistakable shape of mammaries which would likely make even Matsumoto jealous- odd, Erza thought; she had never thought there were female hollows- she had never thought they had genders at all. The face of this third hollow was completely obscured by a toothed mask, up to just before where her eyes started, and she had short, blond hair and dark skin, contrasting the paleness of everything else. Her right arm ended in what looked like a gigantic fin of sorts- a crude greatsword, it looked like. Holding it across her chest, she went down on one knee before Aizen, bowing deeply.

"Aizen-sama," she said, her voice deep and husky, and quite respectful.

"Halibel," Aizen said. "Please rise."

"Who is this you bring, Aizen-sama?" The centaur-goat-thing hollow said, and Erza realized to her surprise that, going by its voice, it too was female. She sounded… well, neutral. Not hostile. That in itself was surprising.

"My espada," Aizen said contentedly, "meet my newest ally, Erza Scarlet."

"Uhm, hello," Erza said awkwardly, waving at them. She could feel the raw power radiating from them- controlled and restrained, but awesomely powerful, unlike any she had felt herself- so far, only Zaraki Kenpachi compared. "I, uhm, look forward to working with you. If that's all right with you."

"Erza, meet Tier Halibel," Aizen said, pointing to the blond hollow-woman, "Neliel Tu Oderschwank," he pointed to the goat-centaur, "and Ulquiorra Schiffer."  
The white, faceless hollow looked at her, and took a few steps closer.

"Are you worthy of serving Aizen-sama?" It said. It was a direct question, one she would have expected to sound demanding, even aggressive- but it seemed to lack any emotion at all.

"I think that's his decision, not yours or mine," Erza shot back.

"Well said," Halibel said, nodding. "Know your place, Ulquiorra."

Wordlessly, Ulquiorra retreated, sitting back down on the couch.

"So… these are your strongest warriors?" Erza mumbled. There was no way to hide how she felt- they were raw power, each one of them, and acting unimpressed would be foolish.

"I have two more who are stronger still," Aizen said, and Erza gulped. How many allies did he have?  
"But out of these three, Halibel is the strongest." Upon this praise, Halibel bowed her head contentedly, "Followed By Ulquiorra and Neliel. Five Vasto Lorde- and five more of the strongest Adjuchas, will make up the Espada."

"Espada?" Erza asked. "What does that mean?"

"In hollow tongue, it means 'blade'. It's a tradition- the ten very strongest arrancar call themselves like so."

"We are not arrancar yet," said Neliel.

"Your time is drawing close," Aizen said, nodding to her.

"…arrancar?" Erza murmured, confused again.

"It's known to the Gotei, but kept from most, what that is," Aizen explained, "an arrancar is a hollow advanced so far in his- or her- personal evolution that they have shed their mask to reveal their true face… and gain the powers of a shinigami."

"That- that's impossible!" Erza ejaculated. Reminding herself what they had said about impossible, she continued, "Well- I never heard about that, at least. How… how is that possible?"

"I would like to know as well," Aizen said, "but for the time being, what we do know is that they do exist. A hollow who can do this is known as an arrancar, and gains the appearance of a human, and a zanpakutou- but unlike a shinigami's blade, their zanpakutou reveal their power as a hollow, not one born magically from within. More importantly… any hollow who transforms like so gains explosive amounts of power."

"Yet it is flawed," Halibel said.

"Correct," Aizen said. He seemed to enjoy explaining this, so Erza kept quiet, "yes, the process is flawed. A hollow who does this by his own power loses a significant amount of potential power in the process. However… I have been working on a way of optimizing this process. Once I have the necessary tools, all my chosen subordinates will have enormous power- the weakest of them will rival a captain, and the best of them could only hope to be resisted by the eldest and most skilled shinigami."

"So that is your plan," Erza mumbled, nodding, "that… is how you will fight overwhelming power- with overwhelming power."

Aizen chuckled. "That is one way of putting it. But I would be a fool to stake everything on that alone." He looked pleased- there was no smile, but he looked very pleased. "There is one thing I have which will give us an enormous advantage- which will guarantee our victory."

"What is that?" Erza asked. How much had he kept from them all?

"Erza, what is the power of my zanpakutou?"

"Oh, I remember that," Erza said, "it creates water ripples which let you blind your enemies with light."

Aizen slowly pulled out his zanpakutou, holding it at ease. "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu," he commanded.

"I don't understand-" Erza started. Then suddenly, all three hollows were Aizen. "What?!" Erza said. Around her, there were four Aizen- no, a dozen- two dozen- a hundred, a thousand… the whole room was filled with them, each one looking exactly the same. The world had gone white, and all she could see was him.

"What the hell…" She mumbled, reaching for her sword. It was nowhere to be found.

Then suddenly, she was back in the same room, with the same four people.

"What the hell happened?!" She cried, again reaching for Tetsu no Tama- now securely held at her thigh. Ulquiorra halfway stood up, as if to defend his master, but Aizen made a gesture, and he sat back down.

"That is the true power of Kyoka Suigetsu," Aizen said triumphantly- and despite the normal light shining down, there was something about him that looked… a little scary. "My zanpakutou's power gives me complete control over all five senses of anyone who lays eyes on them. Currently, that includes every high ranking officer in the Gotei. I could make you see or feel anything, Erza- there is nobody I cannot fool with this."

"You can… do that?" Erza said, breathing in deeply. "It's… a godlike power." She shook her head- it was a great advantage to be sure, but to have something that powerful… should anybody have that?

"I do not take it lightly, of course," Aizen said, sheathing the blade again, "I have promised myself to only use it for good- not for selfish or petty pursuits, but to make this world a better place- this one, and the Soul Society."

"We have all submitted to it," Halibel said, looking at Erza. There was something reassuring in her voice- she was the product of probably hundreds of years of fighting, of hatred and viciousness, yet she seemed have complete trust in Aizen. "In my darkest hour, Aizen-sama saved me. He showed me what the true strength of a hollow can be. When the time comes, I will become an espada- and I will serve his will for as long as I live. I do this of my own free will, because I have seen a better way." She nodded gravely.

"I'm not as wordy as Halibel," Neliel said cheerily, "but it's right. We owe him everything."

"That… that's good, then," Erza said, "but… how do you intend to do all this?" She turned to Aizen.

"For now, we bide our time. We stay hidden, we gather information, we learn as much about our enemy as possible. When the time comes, we shall reveal ourselves, and I shall make my army real. When that time comes… I will make war. As short and efficient as possible, but war it will be. When it is done, you will stand at my side as I rule the Gotei Thirteen."

"We'll make the world better for everyone," Erza mumbled.

"Every village you ever wanted to help will be helped," Aizen nodded.

"Then… I have one question." Erza said firmly.

"Oh?"

"Ichimaru Gin." Erza said, gall in her voice. "Why?"

"Ah." Aizen said, nodding. "By 'why', I assume you mean 'why is somebody like him involved in something like this'?"

"Yeah, that's about it," Erza said sarcastically. "He's a creep- and don't tell me he's really just shy and actually very nice on the inside. _Nobody_ is that good at being creepy without having a talent for it."

"He is a monster," Aizen said unabashedly. "A sadistic psychopath with homicidal tendencies."

"Then _why_?!" Erza insisted.

"If you'll let me finish? I first met him many years ago, when he was a young shinigami- and even then, I could tell what he was like. Hollow inside, no sense of compassion or empathy… I knew very soon that he would become a murderer one day. At the same time, he was quite skilled- and you know how little the Gotei cares about things like justice if there is talent to be found. Do you not, Erza?"

"I do," Erza huffed, still not convinced.

"I knew, back then, that I would either have to kill him myself, or watch others die because of him. But the problem was, he was innocent. A sadist, yes, and lacking empathy- but he had done no crime that I knew of. He was but a child. You have done it yourself, Erza, killed out of necessity- but tell me, could you kill an innocent child even if you were sure he would grow up to be totally evil?"

"…no." Erza said, shaking her head. "No, of course I couldn't. But…"

"There is your answer," Aizen said resolutely. "It was a dilemma- either do nothing and know what it would result in, or do something grossly wrong. So I decided… so strong as he was, that I would try the next best thing. I manipulated him, tried my best to control him, and I made him mine. He does not murder, Erza, even if it means I have done my best to meddle with who he is. He is loyal to me- not trustworthy, but loyal. If he weren't… I dare not imagine how many would die."

"I don't like it," Erza said. Ichimaru was a monster- Aizen had said so himself. Why would he have to be part of this? Something that was actually _good_?

"I don't like it either," Aizen said smoothly, "but it was the least bad option, Erza. Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones…"

"But you still have to choose." Erza said, sighing. "All right- just keep him out of my way. Um, please?"

"Consider it done. Besides, this way, he at least serves a good cause- however unwillingly." Aizen turned around, and began to walk out. "I have business to attend to. I will come fetch you later- for now, make yourself acquainted with your new allies."  
With that, he was gone.

Erza looked at the aforementioned new allies. Frightening white monsters they seemed, inhuman and unsettling; the shape and features of humans yet so _wrong_…

But she wouldn't let that hold her back. If they were good people, they were good people, regardless of species. Besides, who had ever asked to become a hollow?

"Hello!" Erza said, a bit too loud, and walked up to Halibel, shaking the one hand she had free. A bit confusedly, she reciprocated the gesture.

"…I believe we were already introduced," she said, giving Erza a quizzical look. "and… what are you doing to my hand?"

"It's a manner of greeting where I come from," Erza said, "a way of, um, acknowledging each other, I suppose."

"Acknowledge." Halibel said slowly. "Very well. I will acknowledge you, Erza Scarlet." Firmly, to the point where it hurt, she shook Erza's hand back.

"…you can let go now." Erza said after a while. Tier Halibel, she decided, was rather an awkward person. Which, oddly enough, made her more relatable than most shinigami she knew.  
"So," Erza said, "why don't you show me around in your home?"

* * *

Three days later, the night hung dark over them as Erza stood next to Aizen just outside the twelfth division, on a rooftop across the street. She had seen Las Noches, she had seen Hueco Mundo, and she had found it not revolting or horrifying as she expected it, but sad and home to people- hopeless people, in a sense she had never even thought of before. That hollows were people was in itself an alien notion- but undeniable; there was no doubting it after having met Neliel and Halibel. Bearing the white mask, with the yellow eyes of a monster... but with a mind, with hopes and a goal- people they were.  
She wanted there to be a place for them in the world she would create with Aizen.

But first things first. It would be a long good while before they could even begin to attempt the creation of a utopia, and you would never reach the end of the road without first putting on foot in front of the other, taking that first step. She had taken the first step, joining Aizen. Tonight would be her second step.

"Are you sure about this?" Aizen said, sounding as coolly inscrutable as ever. Much of his affability, she had realized, was part of the act- he was a good man, but she had at least half a new person to get to know.

"I am." Erza said dispassionately.  
This had been her first demand. She had bent the knee to Aizen, she had agreed to serve him for a greater good, and it was only right he did something for her- a show of good will. Twelfth division, more than anything, had coloured her view of the Gotei- the image of that dying Quincy was burnt into her retina, accompanying her into her dreams all too frequently. The thought of there being many more, there being so much suffering going on _every day_ under the sanction of her so-called superiors...

It filled her with hate. A large and all-consuming hate, one that frightened her- it was like a malignant version of the love and loyalty she had for her friends. More than anything, she wanted it gone- and she wanted justice. Nothing could repay the poor bastards suffering down there in the labs- and nothing could save them either. But they would be granted mercy, and the monsters who did this to them would lose every last bit of data stored there.  
"You are sure the facilities will be empty?" Erza asked, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"I let them know that second division would pay them a routine inspection. Those two do not like each other very much, so when given a warning, their researchers and staff tend to clear out. Of course, there is no inspection coming... but if anyone investigates it, it will turn out to be a clerical error. I doubt they will, after this."

"You really planted explosives everywhere down there, without being seen? In every room, every corridor?"

"The very best kido seals I ever designed," Aizen said contentedly, almost smugly. "Carefully and masterfully crafted runes infused with heavily explosive magic. All without being seen, yes- the magic of the Kyoka Suigetsu is all powerful."

"Do it." Erza said through her teeth.

"This is unlike you," Aizen noted, "so... destructive."

"I am destructive. I always have been," Erza shot back, "and what I saw down there was... unacceptable. It _must go_, Aizen. No half measures."

"You never were one for half measures, no," Aizen said amusedly. He flicked his wrist and moved his fingers around, and at once a simple, stylized map of the science facility appeared in the air before them, a marvel of subtle magicks.  
"This is the floor itself," Aizen explained, "and every red dot is an explosive seal set to detonate. Soon, the lowest floor of the twelfth division- including every last file and folder of research data- will have been reduced to rubble."

"Then do it. Please." Erza said.

"It is already being done," Aizen reassured her, looking intently at the magical hologram before them. "Seven... six... five... four... three... two... one."

From where they sat across the street, Erza heard a dull 'thump'. She knew it was set underground, but had at least expected a loud boom- it was almost disappointing.

"That was sector one," Aizen said, indicating at the map, which showed the first area of the map in a bright red.

Thump.

"That would be the second one."

Thump. Thump.

"Number three, number four," Erza mumbled, with a mixture of excitement and nervousness, as she watched the map grow redder and redder. Only two left.

"Hmm- that's odd," Aizen said, pointing at sector six, "that area just blew up... well, not the whole of it." With a curious look he inspected the map; part of the sixth area had gone red. Then there was another 'thump', and shortly after it a final, last 'thump'. The map glowed a complete red, indicating complete destruction.

"What was that?" Erza asked.

"I don't know," Aizen said, shrugging, "but nevertheless, you have got what you wanted. It will not stop them from rebuilding, or doing the same thing again, not without killing the researchers-"

"No killing," Erza said firmly, shaking her head.

"As you wish." Aizen said.

"We destroyed their research center. We'll do it again if we have to." She said firmly.

"As you wish, my destructive lady," Aizen said, chuckling mildly.

"...I best head to bed," Erza mumbled. "I- I still have work to do in the morning. I'll see you later... sir."

"Of course," Aizen said. "I'll stay for a while and observe this unfold for a while."

She nodded, and walked away, hopping down from the roof. Aizen watched her leave, and once she was well out of sight, he cracked a small smile. This was unlike him- he had for so long kept himself very carefully hidden, careful not to leave any tracks whatsoever. He had gone from that to... a major act of terrorism. As above the fools of the intelligence unit as he was, they weren't idiots- they would figure out that it was no accident. He would have to cover his tracks carefully. Not that there was any chance they would find anything pointing to him- his kido research was completely secret and impossible to trace, and at any rate they would find nothing his sword would not let them find- but this was still unlike him.

The most important thing, he mused, was that this act of terror had been done at the behest of Erza herself- she had had her finger at the trigger, and had not hesitated to pull it because she felt justified in doing so. She was becoming a model pupil- before long, he would no longer need to act so righteous in front of her.

Well, it had to be admitted also- it had been... fun.

* * *

"Hey, Erza!"

Erza looked up from her desk, where Renji presented a welcome break from the paperwork- you'd think that having joined a covert freedom fighter movement would mean less work, but no, the façade had to be kept intact…

"Yes, Renji?" She said, putting the pen and papers down.

"It's- it's-" he said agitatedly, a little short of breath.

"Calm down." She said firmly. "Take a deep breath, or two, and then tell me."

"Yes ma'am," Renji huffed, and took a couple of breaths. "It's Shiba Kaien. Did you hear the news? Last night?"

"No," Erza said, furrowing her brows. Last night she had returned late from a patrol, and gone right to bed- had something happened?  
"What happened?"

"He's dead, sis. Shiba Kaien's dead."

Erza took a breath, keeping herself calm. She had not known Kaien- the head of the Shiba clan and cousin to Isshin, and vice-captain to the thirteenth division, she knew that much, but she had not known him personally. Death always came as a shock to those personally affected by it, but for everyone else… well, they were all part of a military organization, and it was not exactly like the Gotei had a retirement plan. It happened to everyone eventually.

"That's terrible," she said, standing up, "what happened? Do you know?"

"Hollow, sis. Some kinda freak-show hollow, they said- different from the rest."

"That's very sad, yes," Erza said, nodding, wondering how to put on the right air of respect toward the dead man in question- she knew well how personal grief felt, but she didn't have much experience handling other people's deaths. It made her feel uncomfortable.  
"But why are you this worked up? Were you friends with him?"

"Don't you know, sis?" Renji said, his voice between angry and upset, "Rukia was his student. They say…" He hesitated, took a deep breath, and continued, "they say her sword was what killed him. She's not been arrested, but… sis, she can't be in a good way."

"So why are you here talking to me?" Erza asked.

"I tried- she wouldn't respond," Renji mumbled. "Shit… her eyes looked _dead_, sis. She really liked that guy, and… it's bad enough to watch somebody like that die, but to have to-"

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Erza said sharply.

"What can I do, Erza?" Renji pleaded, sounding a bit helpless.

"Renji," Erza said, looking him in the eye, "somebody dear to you is in pain. You do not know how you can help. Correct?"  
Renji nodded.  
"I'm not exactly an expert on people," Erza said, trying to think of some decent advise- that was the silly thing about being a teacher to somebody; people just assumed you _knew_ things and it never occurred to them that you might just be ignorant and lost, too…  
"Look, not everyone handles something like this the same. But… when it was me, I was nearly lost. It was Kotetsu Isane who pulled me out of there, and I hope her, or somebody like her, will do the same for Rukia. I'll say this- nobody in that position should be alone. Visit her when you can, and don't leave unless she tells you to."

"But what am I supposed to say?"

"You don't need to say a thing, Renji," Erza said firmly. "You just need to be there. Make her feel she's got people left in this world. That kind of pain can take you to some dark places without people to help you carry on. If she'll have it, talk to her. If not, just sit there until your ass cramps up. Understood?"

"…yes, sis," Renji said, nodding. Wordlessly, he turned around and walked out.

Erza watched him leave, and hoped she hadn't made some sort of mistake.

* * *

Life- or rather, afterlife- was hard, unfair, and then you died. That was Kuchiki Rukia's conclusion when, some two months after Shiba Kaien's death, she stood alone among the corpses of her comrades. She had failed to live up to the standards of her onii-sama, had never become a worthy member of the Kuchiki. She had endured that failure for a long time, even gaining hope of overcoming it under the tutelage of Kaien-dono. That hope had died with him, that dire night… when her sword had run through his chest.

She had been given counselling. The ever-smiling, ever-frightening Captain Unohana had insisted on it. But no amount of treatment could make the black hole in her chest go away; nothing could stop her dreams from his accusing face staring down on her. For that reason, she had joined a terminator squad the moment she was deemed fit for duty. It was dangerous work, and people often died- and deep down, she had felt that suited her.

Then there was today. A high risk assignment; hollow infestation out in the Rukongai. There had been five of them going out that morning, to fix a tear between the realms- reportedly with dozens of hollows having spilled out, and more coming.

It hadn't been dozens. It had been well over a hundred. They couldn't run; there were hollows far too strong and fast for that. A distress call had been sent out immediately by the squad's leader, and a struggle for survival had begun, a desperate defensive fight, a mixture between running and battling with their lives at stake. For a while, it had worked. For some time, quick and smooth team work had kept them alive, with one hollow after another being slain as they constantly changed position, using everything in their arsenal to stay alive.

Then tenth seat Tumika had lost his arm to a vicious, snake-like beast hitting him from a blind spot, and he had been overrun in seconds, torn to pieces. One by one, the other three had been taken out- skewered, ripped to pieces, killed with sword in hand while slaying as many in turn as they could.  
Now it was only her left.

As Rukia watched the wicked-faced horde of hollows move to leap at her one final time, a seething mass of teeth, claw and writhing bodies, she thought how strange it were, that just a few months ago this would have been horrifying. Now, it was strangely... pointless. Apathy was the last she would have expected, but it was all she could muster. She could not manage to care that her squadmates had died. She could not manage to care that she had no way out. She could not even manage to care about the large, bleeding gash in her side, which had already dyed a large part of her shihakusho quite red. She could see them move, slowly like the predators they were, and her vision went blurry. Slowly, she lowered her sword, waiting for the inevitable.  
It felt right. Just... let it happen, and all the pain would be gone. It wasn't like she was killing herself. She had carried on, she had fought hard, she had done her best. It hadn't been enough. She was oddly fine with that.

Her vision faded, and she sunk to her knees, closing her eyes. It would hurt- but just a little more pain, and then... then, she'd be wherever Kaien was. Was there a life after the afterlife? She would find out. The shrieks and growls of the hollows came ever closer...

But then, one moment passed another, and the inevitable somehow didn't happen. The sore, throbbing pain in her side made itself reminded with each heartbeat, and Rukia felt almost disappointed- what the _hell_ was taking them?  
She opened her eyes, looked up, and... she saw and felt it. Two powerful shinigami, taking the full attention of the horde. Forcing herself to focus, through the pain and dizziness, Rukia looked at her saviours- the far-too-late reinforcements from the Gotei itself. There was the white-haired fourth seat of squad Ten, Lisanna Strauss- and by her side, the tall and fiercely red-haired third seat of squad five, Erza Scarlet. They stood only a couple dozen paces away, their swords out.

"You ready, Erza?" Lisanna said, staring intently at the horde before them. The hollows seemed curious about the new arrivals, slowly spreading out in a large arc, to surround them.  
"Let's do this."

"No." Erza said, her sword already changed into two blades. "There is a survivor over there- take her to the field hospital, now."

"She's half dead," Lisanna bit back, "and if I go save her, you'll be overrun. Those aren't your everyday hollows, Erza- I'm counting nearly forty old, strong huge ones, and there's three gillians, and a damn Adjuchas too!"

"Do it," Erza said, her tone leaving no room for disagreement.

"I'm not letting you die for no reason-" Lisanna tried, but Erza cut her off.

"I hate to do this to you, but I _am_ third seat and you are fourth. I am in command of this mission, so go save her- that's an order!"

"Really, Erza?" Lisanna said frustratedly.

"Sorry," Erza said regretfully. "Get her out of here, then come help out. Okay?"

"Son of a..." Lisanna murmured, and dashed toward Rukia. "Are you badly hurt?" She said to her.

"I'm..." Rukia said, lamely pointing to her side. "I... I don't think I can stand."

Lisanna looked around her; the hollows were gathering. "This might hurt, but we don't have any time," she said, sheathed her sword, and hastily picked Rukia up in a bridal carry. It hurt, but not especially more than it had before, and Lisanna sped away.

"I'm coming right back, Erza!" She snapped, as she started running, "so stay alive till them, you hear me?"

"I'm not dying here," said Erza, mostly to herself. There _was_ a lot of them... but she was not going to die. It was not an option. Not waiting for them to pounce, she readied her swords and charged into the awaiting horde. She cut once, twice, three and four times, her arms working with furious precision, leaving seven hollows maimed. There was no time to go for a killing blow each time- she was outnumbered enormously, and her only advantage would be speed. Her weapon immediately changing to a spear, she sped forward, leaping over one hollow after another, even using them as stepping stones, she aimed for the first gillian. It was enormous, bulky and slow, bigger by far than even the Adjuchas- which, for now, seemed only to observe. The gillian looked down on her, red eyes glimmering with malice as it opened its mouth. Cero- she knew what it was before the red energy had even begun to gather.

Not stopping now, she dashed forward, running up the body of the hollow in defiance of all physics known to man. The ball of red energy was growing, but Erza had no intent on letting it fire. In a last spurt, she launched herself forward, spear pointed straight at the monster's mask. She felt the impact as it collided, rattling her very bones, and for a fraction of a second she feared her weapon would break. Then there was a gratifying crack, as the monster's mask fractured, pierced by the tip of her spear. It had not yet broken, though- only partly fractured. Wrenching the spear out, she let it form into her axe, Breaker. With a fearsome swing, she cut into the fracture, and the hollow screamed- a deafening, shrieking roar, chilling her to the spine- as it began to dissolve. It collapsed, and Erza let herself fall to the ground, landing with her weapons already switched to the double swords.

She panted. That had already taken a lot out of her- the gillian's mask had been thick and tough. But there was no respite- a horde of smaller hollows were charging her way, leaping on all fours. Not waiting to let them come at her, she ran to meet them, her swords ready and waiting. Carving through them with the power and experience of veteran, her blades worked furiously, slashing a gruesome, bloody pattern through the beasts. In a matter of seconds, nearly a dozen hollows fell over, dead or dying, and Erza was not even slowing down.

Crying out with a fierce shout, deep down from her gut, she jumped forward to face a group of Huge hollows, her swords changing into an axe again. A monster with a bulky body and long, spiky arms roared, slashing at her. It received a severed arm for its troubles, and the next moment Erza had smashed the blade of her axe into its mask. It fell down, beginning to decay immediately. Still looking for a new opponent, Erza jumped forward again. Breaker was hungry still, and she had the battle of a lifetime ahead of her.

Rukia saw it, as she was being carried away- that fierce, strong woman, jumping into a suicidal fight with no hesitation. Why? For her? Why would she be worth saving? Would she die too, because of her?  
Thinking these despairing thoughts, Rukia drifted off into unconsciousness.

* * *

It had been hours, surely hours, since she had started this. Every muscle in her body ached; she had broken two fingers and probably more than a few ribs, and one of her arms almost hung limp at her side, her willpower just barely keeping it moving. Her clothes were torn and ripped, to a point where her shirt was less of a shirt, and more a collection of stripes. As it flapped in the wind, it might have looked attractive to a male onlooker, if not for how each tear came with a wound, soiling what was left of her uniform with red blood. Thick, clotting blood kept running into her eyes, from a nasty cut to her forehead.  
She could barely hold Breaker, her huge bearded axe, which she had swung with a tired, mechanical energy the last hour or so, like a weary woodsman chopping into a tree's trunk.

And all around her were the disintegrating corpses of hollows great and small. Bits and pieces of them were flung all over the dirty ground, blood and ichor staining the grass. There were mounds, veritable mounds, of decaying dead flesh, huge hollows with their tongues hanging lamely from their dead jaws, stacked on one another as they had fallen before her fury. She hurt, badly, but she had won.  
Well, almost.

_"Well, well,"_ said the Adjuchas, towering over her, "you managed to kill all of them. Impressive."  
It was huge in size, massive, over a hundred feet tall, its body a flaming red, with bull-like horns jutting from its mask. Its muscles bulged from its arms, grotesquely disproportionate in size compared to its smaller legs. It looked like a deformity, a still-born, misshapen freak of nature. Its mask was the typical bone white, except for three black triangular markings under each eye. Its teeth dark and sharp, it looked every bit the nightmare it should.

"Impressive? I thought you'd be angrier about losing your followers," Erza grunted, wearily raising her axe again. It was a monstrosity, to be sure... but she had fought a lot of monstrosities, and even now, she felt no fear. Caution, sure- but looking at it, even though it was grim, she felt only a cool calm, assessing the situation before her.

It was large, very large, but she knew from experience they could be deceptively quick. Adjuchas class, with reiatsu bigger than hers- but judging from its emissions, with inferior control of it compared to her; a major flaw to exploit. Adjuchas, the second highest stage of hollow evolution- it was old, experienced and wicked, no doubt. To do this, she would have to be very precise; there would be no room for mistakes.

"Angry?" The hollow said, letting out a low, rumbling laugh, nearly deafening her. "I am grateful, Erza Scarlet of the Gotei. That they died by your hand will mean that consuming you will mean all the more." He put one paw forward on the ground, and leaned in, preparing to pounce. "Trash like them can be replaced. But to think..."

"Think what?" Erza said, carefully taking a few steps back, reading the beast's movements.

"To think that Aizen-sama holds you in such esteem, yet he has not ordered any of us to not harm you." He let out a low, evil-sounding chuckle. "Does he value you so little?"

"I wouldn't have said yes even if he asked me to." Erza said defiantly. That's right, drag it out... if there was one thing about old, experienced and particularly evil hollows, it was their tendency to gloat. If Lisanna came back before he could move, this was sure to be a victory.

"Aizen-sama does not take requests, he _commands_," the hollow chortled. "If you have not seen this, then you are naïve!"

Immediately, before he had even finished his sentence, the hollow charged forward, in great and vicious strides on his massive arms. One claw came down on her, and Erza quickly rolled under it, ignoring the screams of protest from her aching body. Quickly, she burst into a sprint, drawing on her last energy reserves, trying to quickly reach its face. She dashed forward in a weak half-shunpo, and though the beast saw her, reeling back, she was able to make the jump, get up-  
but then it failed, her foot crying out in pain, her jump half-hearted and weak. Before she could even hit the ground, the hollow's claw had hit her, slamming hard into her side, sending her tumbling. Struggling to stay conscious, she rolled across the ground, bleeding from new places and hurting even more in older ones. Even so, she forced herself to stand- _get up get up get up GET UP or he is going to kill you! Get up!_

Struggling to keep her balance still, she stood on her feet, just barely holding on to her axe.

_Never falter!_  
She heard the voice of Tetsu no Tama's proud warrior spirit in her head, and nodded resolutely. Never run away, never surrender- not for something as small as your life. Grasping the axe resolutely in both hands, despite her fractures shoulder and broken fingers, she began to walk against the hollow, which was raising its hand against her again. The walk turned into a jog, turning into a pained run, and she charged to meet its strike head on. As its hand came down upon her, she focused what energy she had left to the blade of her axe, and let it bite into the hollow's flesh, hard. The hand split in two where she cleaved into it, and the monster roared with pain, pulling its hand back.

Quickly, Erza grabbed on to its thumb, and let herself be propelled up, up... and just as she was high enough, she jumped forward from the monster's hand, brandishing her axe for a wide, arcing swing. The adjuchas growled, trying to react, but before it could move out of the way, she had hit home, all her remaining reiatsu channeled into this one strike. It bit into its neck, crushing through muscles, sinew and blood, brutally severing the head from its body. Her axe breaking, Erza fell to the ground... and raising her head, managing no more than that, she saw the hollow's head lying close by, its body toppling like a cut-down tree trunk. Blood spilled out on the ground like a dark red river, and Erza let herself have a breath of relief. She had won, just by the skin of her teeth.

* * *

Rukia was not sure how long it had been since she had passed out- but judging by the burn in her side, probably not very long. Deciding not to move any more than she had to, she raised her head, looking around. She was lying on a field bed, elevated just a foot or so over the ground. She saw light from outside, dull and fading- twilight, judging by its shade, meaning that she had been out for a few hours. She was in a tent, she could see, dark in colour and with the fourth division's insignia on its walls. Reinforcements had come with medical aid as well, it seemed.  
Rukia shifted a little, and felt a jut of pain from her side- and, she noticed as it died down a little, from her arms and legs as well. She was more beaten up than she thought… but the pain had been dulled by a lot- probably some painkiller drug. She was covered in bandages, she noticed.

Then she remembered. She had been ready to die. She had been completely without hope, not even _wanting_ hope… and then there had been that Erza Scarlet, her old teacher, swooping in and taking on a horde all by herself. Was she…  
No. She was much too tired, much too weak, and in too much pain to deal with all that right now. Closing her eyes, Rukia lay still on the field bed, feeling the thumping of her heart and every little jolt of dulled pain it brought. It was a surprisingly effective distraction. It couldn't last forever, though- sometime later, maybe minutes, maybe an hour, she heard a rustle at the tent's entrance. Opening her eyes, she looked to see what it was. She saw a jot of red through her half-closed eyelids, and raised her head, looking more carefully.

It was Erza Scarlet, looking like she had been run over by a rockslide of particularly large and vicious rocks. Her uniform was gone, replaced by a clean, white robe, stained a little by her own blood. Her head had been wrapped in bandage, her left arm was in a sling, her right hand has wrapped thickly with bandage, the two lowest fingers kept straight by a splint. Her chest, her legs and arms were thick with bandage, and she was still bleeding from a few cuts here and there. After her came Kotetsu Isane, looking worried as Erza sat herself down on a field bed opposite of Rukia.

"…you have a concussion, seven rib fractures which could puncture your lung, a fractured and almost disjointed shoulder, two broken fingers and a sprained wrist to go with it, and _dear lord_ you have more lacerations than I care to count!" Isane said insistently, with a fussing, determined tone that oddly reminded Rukia of a worried older sister, "and _no_, none of them are 'just flesh wounds', Erza! It doesn't matter you're strong- shinigami can get infections too! You need to stay down, and _don't move around_!"

"All right, all right," Erza mumbled, lying down on the bed. "Take it easy… you saw to all of that yourself, didn't you?"

"Yes," Isane said, nodding and firmly pulled a cover over Erza, until it reached up to her chin, "and now I have to make sure you don't undo it yourself! Good grief, Erza, you are so reckless!"

"Take- take it easy, all right?" Erza mumbled, sounding oddly submissive. "I promise I'll stay down, if it'll keep you calm. Okay?"

Isane sighed frustratedly. "I'd like it better if you stayed down because it's the right thing to do for your own wellbeing, but I suppose it will have to do. I have to go make a preliminary report to my captain now- _don't_ go anywhere."

"You got it, boss," Erza said weakly.

Looking skeptical still, Isane nevertheless walked out. Rukia lay still there, looking at her. Erza looked like she had been through hell… and well, fighting at least a hundred hollows at once, that sounded pretty hellish. It was amazing that she was still alive.  
Grunting, Erza propped herself up to a sitting position, putting a finger over her lips.

"Don't tell Isane," she murmured, "she'll pop a vein, and I don't want that on my conscience."

Rukia didn't reply, not really knowing what to say. Erza looked her in the eye, and her brows furrowed a bit.  
"Rukia," she said. "I remember teaching you how to use a sword."  
Weakly, Rukia nodded.  
"I don't remember teaching you to give up."

"What?" Rukia murmured.

"Saw it in your eyes," Erza nodded, "just sitting down, waiting for it to happen. Seen that look before, there's no mistaking it."

"You have no idea." Rukia said flatly. "I saw all of them die, all of them, and I did my worst… and you have the nerve to say I was _giving up_?"

"Weren't you?"

"…no." Rukia said.

"A word to the wise, Rukia- you're not that good at lying. Least not right now," Erza said, shaking her head. "And you know what? I think I do have an idea. Losing people you love, being almost dead, despair… I think I know about that." There was a firm look on her face, not judgmental, not angry, but very decisive. "I lost my three best friends along with my whole class. I lost my _entire world_\- tell me Rukia, do you remember the people you left behind when you were alive?"

"N-no…" Rukia mumbled. "I was too young."

"Well, I do. I remember Natsu, I remember Gray, I remember Lucy. I remember Master Makarov, Mirajane, Jellal, Cana… you don't know any of them, but they were all irreplaceable. Everyone I ever knew, my entire life and future, I lost that when I died, and I don't think I'll ever get it back."

"Um… that's awful." Rukia said awkwardly. It was a lame reply, a much too tame thing to say- but what could really do that justice?

"But I got back up on my feet," Erza said, nodding to herself, her voice a little softer now, "yes, I kept going. I accepted that my friends weren't going to be there anymore. I made new friends, and when they died, I still kept going."

"…why?" Rukia mumbled quietly, feeling tears at the corners of her eyes. "Why do you keep going when you lost that much? I-I lost Kaien-dono, and it _hurts so much_\- overwhelmed by emotion, she stopped talking, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Because it's not over till it's over," Erza said simply. "I know that doesn't sound very profound, but it's how it is. Either you keep going, or you lay down and die. Nothing else to it. I kept going… I almost didn't, but I had help. You got people who love you, Rukia- and it might not feel like it right now, but there's things that make life worth living. It hurts- it really hurts, and it never goes away, not ever, not all of it- but that it hurts means you had something worth remembering. Move yourself forward, Kuchiki Rukia. If you feel like you let somebody down, then live for them. Use your power to make it up to them, whatever it takes. I sure as hell don't think Kaien would want to see you dead."

She lay back down, seemingly tired out from her lecture, and the tears flowed slowly from Rukia's eyes. Keep going, was it? Keep going, or lay down and die…  
She still had friends left. Maybe… maybe it wasn't time to give up just yet.

* * *

Erza, for her part, lay back, keeping quiet. She was in that familiar state of hurting all over, in every place she could imagine hurting and some she didn't even know could hurt. This was a state she had experienced plenty of times both before and after having died, enough so that it was almost routine. As she drifted off into a drug-induced sleep, she wondered whether that really was a sane way of looking at pain.  
Then, before she knew it, she was in a familiar place- the great cliff, with a magnificent tree growing from it. Her soul realm, the home of her zanpakutou, Tetsu no Tama. He had redecorated a good bit since she had first dispelled the cloud of dust- the mountaintop was now the foot of a resplendent marble stair, leading into a huge marble hall, shining white, its roof supported by exquisitely carved pillars. Erza sighed, looking at the ridiculously glorious sight of her zanpakutou's home, and walked up the steps leading towards the hall where he made his home. The hall itself had all sorts of comforts, fitting for a king- couches, divans, magnificent tables with great bowls of wine and fruit. At the center of the room, of course, was yet another stair, leading up to a brightly shining golden throne. Erza couldn't help but look at it with a little bit of disbelief, and a little bit of distaste- her zanpakutou was so very much like her in so many ways; honourable, straightforward, firm of principle, proud- but in so many others, he was… _not_. When had she ever wanted glory and wealth like this?

"I can hear all your thoughts, you know," the zanpakutou said, disinterestedly fiddling with a grape. How he had grapes in this world, Erza had no clue.  
He wore splendid gilded armour, like what she had once worn in life- but bigger, more elegant, covering every part of him, down to the fingers and toes- except his face. He would be considered handsome in her world, with his well-sculpted features and short, spiky blond hair, and that very arrogant expression on his face that for some mysterious reason appealed to a lot of women.

"Tetsu no Tama," Erza said, giving a quick bow. He was very keen on respect, Erza knew, and would sometimes withhold his power for small slights- something that had left her being very careful with her manner of speech.  
"You wish to speak with me?"

"Yes, in fact," the zanpakutou said haughtily. "You are changing, Erza. _We_ are changing." In his hand, Render appeared, the black greatsword long and fat with power. He pointed it at Erza. "You have taken a new path."

"Yes, things are changing," Erza said resolutely, "but is that for the better or for the worse, in your opinion?"

"I have no idea," Tetsu no Tama said dismissively, Render disappearing in a puff of black smoke, "but I do know it will lead to something grand. This Aizen… do you truly trust him?"

"With all my heart," Erza said firmly. "He will lead us to a-"

"Yes, yes, spare me the lecture," he said, taking a sip of wine. "I am not opposed to a bit of loyalty to a lord you believe in. But do not let him lead your way of thinking, Erza- you must follow because you see it to be right, not because he tells you it is."

"Obviously," Erza replied. "Was that all you wanted to talk about?"

"There is plenty to talk about." He said, smiling contentedly. "You just recently took your first life, Erza."

"Don't remind me." She said, balling her fists. "I had no choice-"

"There you go as always, deprecating yourself!" Tetsu no Tama snapped. "Of all the masters I could have had… you finally show the courage and maturity to know when death is necessary, and your instinctive reaction is to flagellate yourself to no end. This is why I will not give you my true power, Erza- every time you do something worthy of being my true master, in every regard, you step back. Are you afraid of me, Erza? Are you afraid of my power?"

"If your power means treating death as something unimportant, then I do not want it." Erza said coldly. "I'll make do. I'll make do, even if you took away all my power."

"Hn." The spirit took another sip of wine, and lazily gobbled down a couple of grapes. "And that, Erza, is why you still wield my power. Even when challenged by me, your own soul, you stay true to yourself. But take warning… the future may take you down a path that creates a new you, and that future you may not be worthy of my power."

"Isn't that always true?" Erza shot back. "Is that not always a possibility, for everyone?"

"True enough," the spirit said, nodding. "But I won't scold you too much. After all, you have moved up in the world… when will you upgrade from that tacky little room? A woman of your stature deserves far better."

"It's no more than I need." Erza said, smiling a little. This was a familiar verbal spar- Tetsu no Tama liked to demand the finer things in life, and Erza had little time for that.

"But, Erza…" Tetsu no Tama said, sounding grave. "Take heed. You destroyed something you found reprehensible not long ago. But in doing so, have you considered you might be destroying a part of yourself?"

"All the time, Tetsu no Tama. All the time."

He nodded. "We will speak again, Erza. For now… your audience is over."

And then, she felt the sudden rush of being thrown out, out of the palace, out of the realm itself- that blasted zanpakutou, and his arrogant way of treating it like his own personal kingdom! With a start, she woke up, feeling the pain of broken bones. Slowly, and with some effort, she went back to sleep again.

* * *

It was a few days later, when the worst of her injuries had been cured- through extensive medical kido, and more than a few scoldings from Isane- that she was well enough to be up and about. Captain Unohana had still insisted on her not returning to duty for a few days, and Erza was not about to defy her- but lying down had never been her forte. The news had spread across the Gotei, what she had done… people kept giving her excited looks, murmuring to themselves, and not in a bad way. It was like a not-so-bad version of what had happened after the massacre.  
Right now, though, it was night, and she had been called out to meet Aizen. Out into the cool night she had walked, her bones still aching, her fingers still on a splint, but undeterred. Pain like this was nothing.

They were waiting in a square not far from fifth. In normal circumstances, she would have been unsure about such an open meeting place- but the power of Kyoka Suigetsu was something else, she had to remind herself. Out in the open, a clear moon shining down on them… conspiring rebellion. She was part of this now, and it was something that never stopped feeling strange.  
Aizen stood there, flanked by Tosen and Ichimaru.

"Welcome, Erza," Aizen said, shooting her a small smile. "I am glad to see you on your legs again, after such a tremendous display."

"It was foolhardy," Tosen scoffed. "Not only did she risk her life needlessly, but she drew attention to herself- Aizen-sama's orders were clear, woman!"

"Silence, Kaname," Aizen said. His voice was quiet, gentle, but Tosen shut his mouth immediately.

"Ya gotta admit though, that was quite somethin' for a lil' girl without a bankai," Ichimaru said, smiling the same creepy smile as ever. "The hundred-slayer, I heard 'em call her. Yer makin' quite a name for yerself."

"If there is a problem-" Erza said, but Aizen cut her off with an assuring gesture.

"Don't mind them, Erza. This is exactly the sort of thing that might be expected of you- to suddenly become quiet and discreet would be far more suspicious for you. Be as you are. There is no need to worry. Besides, it _was_ impressive."

"Thanks, sir," Erza mumbled.

"This is still more than necessary." Tosen dared remark. "Especially in light of the bombings…"

"Kaname, your petty jealousy would befit a schoolgirl better than a lieutenant of mine." His tone was gentle, but his words were sharp, and Tosen fell quiet.

"Is there a risk, though?" Erza asked. "I wouldn't want to have caused you trouble…"

"There is no risk." Aizen said calmly. "The second division is clueless. The reigning theory is that there were terrorists from the Rukongai somehow bypassing our defenses- something I planted evidence to support."

"…I see." Said Erza. "So, um, why did you call us out here?"

Aizen looked at her. "Ah, yes- let's not distract ourselves any further. The reason I called you out here is simple: the captain of division three is retiring soon due to a long time illness, and Gin will replace him."

Erza blinked. "He- he will? But can he…"

"Wouldn'tcha know it, I got me a bankai," Gin said lazily. "They say I'm a proper genius who deserve t'be at the very top of fings. So say at least five captains now. Goin' t'be fun, running me own division. Don't' it sound fun?"

Erza felt a sinking feeling. This man, in charge of others?

"Gin is still loyal to my cause, of course," Aizen said, noticing the look on her face, "and it serves us well that he is in a position of power."

"If-if you say so," Erza mumbled. "I mean, you'd know best, I guess…"

"That, of course, leaves the position of vice-captain vacant," Aizen said.

"Oh?" Erza said. "Do you have anybody in mind- oh."

"Well yes, who else?" said Aizen. "I can think of no better second in command at my side."

"You are sure, sir?" Erza said. "I mean…"

"You mean what, Erza? You are my third seat. You are the natural choice." Said Aizen.

"…I suppose I just didn't expect it." Erza murmured. "I- of course I'll accept!"

"Very good. I look forward to working with you." Aizen said, saying the formal phrase a bit mockingly.

"I'll do my best." She said resolutely. She had come this far- sure, "vice-captain" was just a rank, but she had climbed far and high now. She was leagues and leagues from where she had first started… and under Aizen's wisdom and guidance, she would go much further still. She would gain her bankai too, become the best she could be… and one day, they would create that better world.

_Just you wait_, she thought, to all the lost friends she had ever had, to the ones she had left behind in life and the ones she had left behind in the afterlife, _just you wait. I won't have lost you for nothing._

* * *

**Finally, Erza has reached the level of vice captain! Well, lets be honest, she's finally reached the RANK of vice captain. Erza was a powerful as one for quite awhile. How long ago? Ever since she saved her students from those huge hollows back in chapter 13. **

**Her power at this point is high vice captain to low captain rank. In a battle of Reiatsu, Erza surpasses Mayrui. but no other captain. She couldn't beat him as she is now, but that's due to his bankai, and THATS only due to his poison. Still, she's come a long ways, and she'll continue to climb even further. **

**I mean, she killed _100 _Hollows! Several of them being gillians, many huge hollows, and a freaking adjuchas**** . I think that's a fair assessment. **

**I hope you all liked that scene at the beginning. For the longest time, Erza had just assumed all hollows were monsters. But as she learned here, she now knows that's not the case. Special thanks to Greatkingrat88 for that, he came up with that scene all by himself.**

**Also, I figured it was about time we got Rukia more involved in this. I wanted to do so earlier, but we couldn't find a way to do so without things being written...well, awkwardly. But we have it here, and that's all that matters.**

**Anyways, I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter. If so, Please leave a review on what you enjoyed about it, I would greatly appreciate it. Likewise, if you had any issues, please, tell us. We don't shy away from Criticism. **


	18. Path to power

**Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima, Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. I own nothing.**

**A special thank you to Greatkingrat88 for writing this.**

**Another chapter for July. Don't expect this to be a common thing guys, sorry. We're just ahead of schedule. **

**That said, I do hope you all enjoy this. There are a few things I'm VERY positive you'll all enjoy!**

**Thanks again for reading. Please feel free to leave any reviews that you want, be it positive or negative. **

* * *

The eternal moon of Hueco Mundo was bathing the room in its pale light, as Erza got to her feet again, wiping blood from her brow. It was strange how easily you got used to it- this realm was dead, cruel and the home of evil creatures, but it was as Aizen said- it had a strange, wild kind of beauty.  
Not that this was on her mind right now. Here she was in a chamber of the palace in Las Noches, one sword in each hand, she took a stance, readying herself as Halibel came toward her again, her arm-sword raised and ready to strike. The great bone-blade came down, shattering the floor tiles as Erza rolled out of the way, and impossibly quickly it retracted to parry her counterattack. Erza pressed her advantage, hacking and slashing at the hollow, trying to keep her on the defensive- but her assault was broken with a single, hard wide swipe, which Erza only barely blocked. She could feel the muscles in her arms scream in protest, her bones almost but not quite cracking under the pressure, as she was sent flying a few yards. She landed on her feet, only barely keeping herself upright.

"If I had struck you seriously there, you would have died," Halibel said plainly. "Why do you insist on this? Neliel and I are both stronger than you are by a severe margin. You have no hope of defeating me."

"It's not about defeating you," Erza said, defiantly, letting her sword change shape into Breaker, the axe, "it's about learning!"

She lunged again, bringing her heavy weapon down, but Halibel had blocked it effortlessly. It had been this way for at least a week now, Erza challenging her or Neliel to a fight, losing miserably each time. She had started spending more time here, often after dark, and Aizen approved- although he had warned her not to stray into parts of the castle she did not know. Erza had found both Halibel and Neliel to be decent company- they were hollows, but in their own way, they were good people too. They had their own friends, lower ranked hollows under their protection, and they seemed to treat them well. So Erza had tried to befriend them the best way she knew- they didn't exactly have a lot in common, but violence was a universal thing to all sentient beings.  
She hacked and cut, not really making much headway- but she had managed to make Halibel take a step back, which was a victory in and of itself. Then, Halibel let her bone-blade drop, and caught the blade of Erza's axe in her palm, not even taking a scratch.

"That is enough." She said simply. "You are tired and worn. Stop."

"I can still keep going," Erza mumbled. "I just need to…"

"Stop, or I will break this weapon." Halibel said coolly.

Erza grumbled, but let her sword return to its sealed form. Huffing, she wiped her brow again, and slowly sheathed her sword.

"You're so cold, Halibel," Neliel said chipperly, having watched from the side-lines. "She's just a shinigami. There's no need to be so hard on her." She was a sweet person, Erza had noted, something that went in stark contrast to her ghastly mask, looking like some grim, mystical totem.

"I was hard on her?" Halibel said dismissively. "If I were, she would be dead. I still don't understand- you are inferior. I mean it not as an insult, but you are. Your strength may not yet be fully grown, but you could never hope to match me. Why keep trying?"

"Well," Erza said, stretching her back and feeling the ache- she'd feel that in the morning, oh yes- "I'm running out of good practice partners back at home. I am going to be a captain one day, Halibel, just like Aizen… and if I want to reach there, I need to challenge myself. I need to get stronger. You don't get stronger by fighting people who are on the same level as you are. All that accomplishes is you staying in shape, at best."

"…perhaps." Halibel said, looking as inscrutable as ever under her mask. It was a strange thing- a mask she had, but not over all of her face. Under it was… skin, just like on any person she'd find in the world of the living or in the soul society.

"I figure, why not give myself as big a challenge as possible?" Erza said, giving her a smile. "Throw reason to the curb, try to move a mountain- and maybe if I try hard enough, I'll move it."

"Or you will break your back trying to." Halibel said dryly. She was critical, dismissive, but, Erza had noticed- she had never once said no to a spar with her, despite the gap in power. It was fascinating- she knew how to slay a hollow, big or small, and she knew how to fight against a sword, but Halibel was simply different- experienced, powerful, a true Vasto Lorde.

"That's a risk I am prepared to take." Erza said resolutely. "I did not join this… whole revolution to play it safe."

"You want a better tomorrow." Halibel said flatly, with a hint of skepticism.

"It won't come if I don't work for it," Erza shot back, "and one day, I'll be much stronger, and that day I will thank you for your help."

Halibel gave her a long, scrutinizing look, and walked over to a bench, sitting herself down.

"You shinigami are strange." She said, after a while. "You are soft, almost all of you are weak, and almost all of you hate and fear us. You work hard, Erza Scarlet, and your wish to become stronger is sincere. But do you realize what a luxury that is?"

"Luxury?" Erza said, following Halibel a few steps, until she was face to face with her again.

"Yes." Halibel said flatly. "To train safely, to have some… controlled environment where you can cultivate your potential. This is a great luxury. I am sure you must have had your struggles and pains getting here, but none of it compares to being a hollow. Out there," she said, gesturing at the endless, white desert of Hueco Mundo, "you would have been killed and eaten just now, not been given leave to rest. Had you been a hollow, dreadful things might have been done to you, and the only way to survive is to be even more dreadful yourself. I am strong, so I have earned the luxury of companionship, but I was a monster before then. I still am."

"You are not a monster-" Erza said, but Halibel cut her off.

"I am." She said sharply. "It is not something I am ashamed of. We all do as we must to survive. But through Aizen-sama's vision, I have found purpose. I do not regret or enjoy what I am, and I do not reject it either."

"Um…" Erza said, unsure of what to say. She was probably right- hollows were terrible, but she hadn't considered before how terrible a thing it was to _be_ a hollow.

"You will never understand." Halibel said matter-of-factly, "Because you have not killed and killed and killed out of hunger, fear and ambition. You have never felt true madness, true ruthlessness. You have not felt the pain of ten thousand wounds, of almost dying all the time, of always being afraid and hiding it behind strength and viciousness."

"You're right." Erza said. "I can't understand. I can't help that. But…"

"I do not judge you for it. You did not choose to be a shinigami. I did not choose to be a hollow. We are what we are. Only purpose matters."

"Do you really think you are a monster?" Erza said, furrowing her brows.

"Would your kind not call me that?" Halibel said, giving her a look. "Would you not call me that, had you seen me in the darkest parts of Hueco Mundo?"

"You are a person, Tier," Erza said resolutely.

"Would your shinigami friends acknowledge that?" Halibel asked. "Would they even listen to you if you dared suggest differently?"

"Well…" Erza mumbled. "It would be difficult."

"Until recently, you thought just like they do. So why now insist on spending time with us?"

"I thought hollows were all monsters, it's true," Erza said, sighing and nodding, "but I was wrong. I know better now. If I can learn that, so can everyone else."

"You truly believe that?" Halibel said, giving her a quizzical look.

"I have to." Erza said firmly. "If I don't, then I'm just acting like I'm better than everyone else. I'm not a hypocrite, Tier- the better tomorrow isn't just for the soul society, it's for you too."

Halibel remained silent for a while, leaning herself against the wall.

"…you are a very, very strange shinigami, Erza Scarlet," she said at last, sounding puzzled. "Aizen-sama is strong. He gave us purpose, a reason for being beyond mere existence. Gin is a monster, a hollow wearing the skin of a shinigami. Tosen lies to himself about right and wrong. But you… you seem different from all of them."

"It's nothing special." Erza said, and smiled. "I'm just doing my best. Come on- let's spar some more. I pushed you back one step this time- doesn't it look like I'm learning?"

"Do not get so full of yourself," Halibel said, standing up, "you have a long way to go yet."

There was something about her voice, her eyes, the way she stood. If she hadn't had a mask, then she might have smiled, Erza thought.

* * *

It was after nightfall when she made it back to her room. Officially she had been out on patrol; the records would verify it, as would several witnesses who had seen her leave and return- that illusion power was quite handy. She felt a good bit more tired than a simple patrol would have left her, though- Halibel, even when she restrained herself, was awesomely powerful.  
Which was why, when the light suddenly turned on, she immediately reached for her sword, and had managed to draw it out by the time a crowd of people chanted out, as one, "SURPRISE!"

"Well, look at you, keepin' alert," said Ikkaku, standing next to Lisanna. "Good to see you didn't get soft just for getting a cushy promotion."

Erza looked around, and lowered her sword. There was Ikkaku, there was Isane, Rangiku, Momo, Lisanna, Momo, Renji, Kira, Hisagi… even Rukia, it seemed. Her new room was quite spacious, but it was absurd how all of them had been able to hide in it. Just how tired was she? She managed a smile, though she didn't feel quite so chipper- she hadn't had a party in ages, and she was a little bit on edge.

"You guys…" She said, embarrassedly sheathing her sword, "um, what is this?"

"You made vice-captain, Erza!" Momo said cheerily.

"We just couldn't leave it without proper celebration!" Rangiku exclaimed, procuring a multitude of sake bottles seemingly out of nowhere. "We all got together-"

"She means Momo, Kira and I," Renji cut in,

"We _all got together,_" Rangiku said insistently, "and agreed we should plan a proper celebration. You earned this, and you deserve at least a party."

"She means 'an excuse to get drunk'," Ikkaku said, "which I am all for, by the way."

"You didn't have to do this. I mean… do you usually?"

"We do if I have a say in it!" Rangiku said cheerily. She continued, her voice a bit light-hearted, "Young lady, you are now a vice-captain, and it is our responsibility as your seniors to celebrate and advise you."

"And drink lots of sake." Ikkaku said.

"And drink lots of sake!" Rangiku concurred. "There's no use trying to fight it- you are destined to party all night with your friends!"

"Well…" Erza said, looking at all their faces, all so happy for her, "when you put it like that… it doesn't sound like I have much choice, does it?"

"I'm so proud of you, Erza," Momo said, giving her a hug. Erza ruffled her hair, and looked down on her affectionately, not really sure what to say.

"You've done all right for yourself, Erza," Lisanna said, shooting her a content smile. "I always figured you'd outrun me eventually."

"It's not a contest," Erza said. "Everyone just does their best." She felt a little guilty- she _was_ plotting treason behind their backs, and each one of them could become an enemy with time… this party was not unwelcome, and she felt glad they all cared- but at the same time, it only reminded her of what her better tomorrow would cost.

"Erza? Erza? Hello, Erza?!" Erza realized she had drifted off in thought, Lisanna raising her voice at her to catch her attention.

"Oh- sorry." Erza said awkwardly, giving her a smile. "Let's um, go sit down and have a drink, and such."

She joined the others at the couch- a simple one, as she'd never figured she would really need one to begin with- where the rest of them were already sat, pulling up stools for the ones who didn't fit. It hadn't been five minutes, and they were already talking, drinking… they were so lively, so happy, so spirited. For a second, she thought she saw the friends of old- Natsu and Gray at each other's throats as usual, Lucy trying to placate them, Elfman boisterously declaring his manliness, Mirajane sitting in the background with a smile…  
Then she was back in the present again. She had lost a whole family once, and now she had found new friends, new family… and the path she was on might turn them all against her? What was she doing with her life?

"Erza?" It was Isane's voice, sounding concerned. "You look- um, you look a bit weird. We shouldn't have imposed… I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's nothing," Erza said, keeping her voice stable. "You're all- you're all um, you're great."

"I know what it is." Lisanna said. "It's the guild, isn't it? It's a lot like it."

"The guild?" Renji said. "What guild? What's she on about, sis?"

"She and I knew each other back when we were alive." Erza said, struggling to get the words out.

"Fairy Tail." Lisanna said. "That was the guild of mages we lived in. We were all of us like one big family… almost like this. That's what got you looking so glum, wasn't it?"

Erza nodded. It was only half the truth, but it would do.

"I told you we shouldn't have," Isane mumbled to Rangiku.

"No, no, I'm glad," Erza said, keeping her voice stable, taking a few deep breaths. "I'm glad you're all here. Everything- everything is okay. Please, um, tell me about being a vice-captain instead."

"Huh." Renji said. "You two used to know each other in life? I never knew."

"Vice-captain advice time!" Rangiku said, cheerily cutting him off. Rangiku might sometimes seem it, but she wasn't actually dim- and unlike Erza, she was an expert at salvaging an awkward situation. "Erza, now that you are a vice-captain, there are certain perks. Like how you can book a spa all to yourself at a moment's notice, or get discounts at all the best stores! Trust me, people _love_ a vice-captain almost as much as they love a captain. We're famous and powerful, so use it!" She smiled broadly, and Erza suspected she was already half drunk.

"Oh. Um…" she said, not really sure what to say, but grateful for the distraction.

"It's a lot of hard work," Isane said, smiling with a hint of nervousness, "I was terrified when Unohana-taicho named me her second. But I knew she believed in me, and she was never wrong… so I worked hard, and I actually did all right. I don't, um, have much advice… other than you shouldn't doubt yourself. But I don't think you would anyway. Er."  
Isane was probably about as awkward as Erza herself, which was a rare thing.

"Thank you, Isane," she said, smiling warmly.

"Well, I ain't a vice-captain," Ikkaku said, downing what was probably his seventh drink already, "but I know you well enough you earned it. Lotsa shitty bureaucratic bullshit to go with the job, but you got the strength. I don't do speeches, so I'll shut up and refill this cup inna second- but here's to you, Erza. You'll make captain one day, and when you do, we'll have a proper fight, you and I."

That last part would have sounded hostile, but to Ikkaku, violence was just part of friendship, and people who couldn't handle that weren't his friends. Erza just smiled at him, and poured her own drink, raising it in a toast. Ikkaku followed suit, and the two of them downed one drink each. As Erza felt the burn of alcohol down her throat, she let herself relax a little.

"Congratulations, Erza," Momo said, smiling the brightest of them all, "I knew you'd move up."

"When I make captain, you'll be my second," Erza said, half joking.

"Oh- oh no, I could never…" Momo murmured. "I mean… I'm not…"

"You're good enough. You're already an officer- and you're more talented than most. I will move up, and so will you, mark my words."

"Th-thank you," Momo said, blushing at the praise.

Erza just nodded, and let herself be swallowed by the party, by the buzz and chatter, the conversation and general state of being with other people. She hadn't realized how much she had missed this- it truly did remind her of times past.

Three hours or so later, most of them had left. They all had work in the morning, after all, and you could only stay up so late drinking without your superiors noticing. Ikkaku had left, so had Lisanna, Kira and Rangiku. Renji and Hisagi were passed out on her couch- where they could stay for the night, for all she cared. She was much too tired to wake them and run them out. The only one still present and awake was Momo, who was dutifully picking up mugs, putting stools back in places, and making the place a little less messy.

"You should go home," Erza said. "I'll take care of this in the morning."

"It's no trouble." Momo said.

Erza sat down on her bed. "So… this was fun." She mumbled.

"Rangiku-san insisted on it being a surprise," Momo said, sounding a little guilty, "she said it was the only proper way to celebrate."

"It was good. I was just, well… surprised." Erza said, her eyelids feeling heavy.

"I didn't know you were such good friends with Ikkaku-san, though," Momo said. "His division seems so… scary."

"They're a rough bunch, all right," Erza mumbled, "but I used to be there myself."

"Really? I never knew." Momo said. Finally finished with the cleanup- or at least the worst of it- she sat down next to Erza.

"I was, yes," Erza said, nodding, "but… I left."

"How come?"

Erza turned her head to look Momo in the eye. "Ikkaku, you know… he looks real mean, and he's rough around the edges. Kind of a real man's man, you know? Fight, fight, fight, get stronger, train all day and drink a lot of beer once the day is done… but he's a good person."

Momo nodded. "If you say he is, then I'm sure he is,"

"But his captain…" Erza said darkly, "his captain is a bad man."

"He's very frightening. They say he's insane…"

"He is." Erza said, making a fist. "Back when I was there, I served under Kiganjo Kenpachi. He wasn't the greatest leader there ever was, or the most hardworking, and he didn't treat me with any special favour. But he was a good man, Momo, a good man." She grit her teeth at the memory. "He led us, and he was the kind of man who'd never ask any of his soldiers to do something he wouldn't. When it came to fighting hollows, he was right there with us. I wasn't… that close with him, but he was a good leader."

"Then what happened?" Momo asked quizzically.

"Zaraki Kenpachi." Erza said brusquely. "He came in one day, claiming the name of Kenpachi, and because of some… damn outdated law, he could take it just by killing Kiganjo. He struck him down in one hit, he died, and everyone just… accepted it."

"So that's why you left," Momo said, sounding concerned. "That sounds terrible."

"Zaraki Kenpachi is a madman who lives to fight, without any concern for anyone or anything else." Erza said. "I don't think about it too often, but it shames us that a butcher like him is allowed to be a leader. He's a murderer."

"But Ikkaku serves under him."

"Ikkaku _likes_ him." Erza said. "That is something I never understood- and I probably never will. I don't think I even want to. Suffice to say, eleven's not a place I'd recommend for any of my friends."

"But… you're still friends with him? Even though he 'likes' a murderer?" Momo said.

Erza sighed. "Being friends isn't just about liking each other, it's also about accepting the ways you are different. I have ideas he doesn't agree with, and he doesn't hold it against me. But still… it's something we don't talk about. It's best that way."

"…I see." Momo said.

"Anyway, I need to sleep," Erza said, closing her eyes, "so… please finish up whatever you need to do."

"S-Sure," Momo said. In just a minute, she had gotten what she needed, left and Erza let herself fall deep into sleep.

* * *

The next day, after hours, she had sought out Ikkaku, and challenged him for another spar, far out in the training grounds, at the very edge of the walls, a place often completely deserted at this time of day. He was good practice; strong, intense, challenging, spirited. They had sparred for nearly an hour, and neither of them were yielding- this was, technically, still the first round. Both of them had nearly won, and nearly lost, several times already- it was an even match, as even as it could only get between two fighters who had had years to explore each other's fighting styles. Sweat tricked down both their bodies, muscles ached and blades clashed. At long last, though, Erza mis-stepped, and Ikkaku quickly tripped her. Before she could recover, she was lying on her back, the point of his spear in her face.

"Give?" He said, his breath a little ragged.

"Give," Erza grunted. Ikkaku stepped back, resting the spear over his shoulder, and Erza flipped onto her feet, huffing irritably.

"You remember back when we started?" Ikkaku said, huffing, grinning a little. "I'd knock you over nine times outta ten. Now look where we are."

"More than that," Erza grumbled, holding her sword firmly, "and I really thought I had this one."

"Could have been you, could have been. To be honest, I don't think I'll be able to take you for much longer."

"What do you mean?" Erza said, still breathing heavily. "You- you nearly had me, like… so many times."

"You've been growing a whole lot since I first met ya," Ikkaku said, and there was something solemn in his voice. "There's a great, bright light shining about ya, an' the only one that burns brighter is my captain. I felt it then, an' I feel it now. You've been takin' control of it, little by little… an' yer so much stronger."

"You mean I've gotten better control over my reiatsu?"

"Well, sod me for bein' poetic," Ikkaku grumbled. "Yes, that's what I mean. Yer mad powerful, and when you got full control over that power, you'll be a damn sight stronger than me. That don't bug me none, don't worry about that- but question is, what will you do with it?"

"Make captain if I can, I guess," she said, shrugging. "You're one to talk, though… you're not even going all out."

"Then what the hell was the last hour?" Ikkaku sneered. "I'm getting bruises what will last a month here, and you're saying that wasn't all I got?"

"It's hard to tell, sure, but… in the way you move, the way you hit, the strength of your blows… there is something else there. Like there's something you could do, but won't. It's like a conversation with somebody who has something he wants to say, but won't. It's the feeling I get, at least."

There was a strange look on his face, and he went quiet for a while, just staring at her.

"…all right," he said at last, "there is something."

"What?"

"I got a question first, alright?" He said, pointing at her. "When you say you wanna be captain, you really mean it, right? You wanna go the full mile, reach the highest spot and be in charge?"

"It's not for being in charge," said Erza, "but yes. I am serious. I'm _going_ to be a captain."

"You sound damn sure of yourself," Ikkaku said, nodding at her, "good, I guess. If you want a crazy hard dream like that, you gotta believe it." He gave her a hard, tough glare, and there was something different about him, the way his reiatsu swirled…  
"Ready yourself, Erza. Get out your best damn sword, right now."

"What?"

"No 'what', Erza!" He snapped. "I'm going to show you something fucking extraordinary, got that? I don't want no 'what' or 'oooh' or 'aaah' or any fuckin' general gawking, just the best you got. You're a game, Erza."

In her hand, Tetsu no Tama took the shape of Render, the black greatsword.

"All right," she said, "now show it to me. Your secret special technique, or whatever it is."

"Good," he said, nodding. "Just one thing. Swear to me, right here and fucking now, that this shit stays between the two of us. Not a word of this leaves your lips, got that?"

"…all right," Erza said, unsure of what to make of this.

"Not 'all right'," he said sharply, "Erza, if you say a peep to anyone, we're not friends anymore. You got that? That's how important it is."

She took a deep breath. He was really serious.  
"Okay. I swear," she said, giving him a nod.

"Attagirl," he said, nodding back. There was a gust of wind around him, as his reiatsu began to climb, his spirit energy swirling and growing in power. She was no expert at reiatsu reading, but it was easy to tell- this _was_ something extraordinary. He grinned widely, looking almost demonic, and leaned forward with his spear in both hands, taking a stance.

"BAN KA-AAAI!" He roared, and there was an enormous surge of reiatsu, dust whipping from the ground from the winds as it released. Erza gasped- _ban kai_? The rarest and truest of skills for all shinigami? The dust was slowly clearing, but even through it, there was no mistaking the raw power. Even the structure of his reiatsu was different- this was… incredible. The dust began to settle, and she saw it. In each hand, an enormous axe blade, each one as big as her Render, connected with an enormous chain to an even bigger axe blade, floating over his shoulders, decorated with the engraved image of a dragon. It was… magnificent to look at. Awe-inspiring, strong, lethal- just like what she would expect from Ikkaku.

_Ryumon Hozukimaru,"_ Ikkaku said.

"You have-" Erza began, but Ikkaku gave her no time. Immediately rushing forward, swinging one of his axe-blades with surprising speed. Quickly, Erza blocked it, the strike feeling like it would rip her main arm right off. It was followed by another, and another, and another, each strike vicious and absurdly powerful. She struggled to stay on her feet, being driven back several yards with each swing, somehow just barely managing to block his strikes, her body reacting automatically. She tried to push back, tried to hit again- but even with two enormous weapons, he was faster than her, hitting much harder. Finally, her arms burning with pain, she was knocked off her feet, tumbling well over ten feet, losing hold of her sword. Stubbornly, refusing to give up so quickly, she struggled to get to her feet, making a grab for her sword. Ikkaku just stood there, watching her with a serious expression.  
Her arms screaming in protest, she forced herself to take hold of Render with both hands, struggling to lift it.

"Good fighting spirit," Ikkaku said, grinning. "This here bankai is pure, raw destruction. It's just like me."

"Don't I know it," Erza said, forcing herself to ignore the pain. The dragon emblem on the giant axe blade was glowing red now, and he held up his blades high, easily and readily. Erza, for her part, trembled as she held her blade up.  
"Come on, then," She said, knowing she would regret it. But to her relief- and disappointment- his bankai dissolved in a bright flash of light, leaving only its sealed form.

"What? That's it?" She said, disappointedly.

"See that red, glowing dragon?" Ikkaku said, calmly sheathing his sword. "That's my bankai charging up. My sword's mostly like me, except he's kinda lazy in a fight. That red thing is me waking him up. When he's fully charged… I can't guarantee you wouldn'ta died, and this ain't so important a point I wanted to go there. Plus, I don't want nobody seeing I got one."

"I… I've never seen one before," Erza mumbled, letting her own sword seal itself. "How…. When…?

"That was the awesome power of a bankai, Erza," Ikkaku mumbled, "and you ain't telling nobody I got one, remember?"

"Why?"

"I got my reasons," Ikkaku said, "but point being, this is the power you need. Every captain, except mine, has to have one. Believe you me, you're strong, but you ain't even close to how good he is. You'll need one. Don't matter how good you control your reiatsu, how great battle planning you got, if your kido is top notch- this is the mark of a truly great shinigami. Don't even think about wanting to be a captain before you get this done."

"But… how?" Erza asked. "How do I… I mean, how did you?"

Ikkaku scratched his head. "It's uh, complicated. It's all that deep crap I'm not really good at- ya gotta be really one with yerself, talk to your spirit and really _know_ what it wants from you. Some people got a great connection, other people need to work on it… a lot. Me'n Hozukimaru, we're a lot alike, and I'm guessing that helped."

Erza gave a thought to the vain, arrogant personality of Tetsu no Tama, and made a face. "I don't think I am so lucky. But… you, a bankai… I never knew."

"You figured out something was off. Yumichika did, too. We're buds, so I reckoned you should know what it is you're aiming for. Sound right?"

"No, it does…" Erza mumbled. "It hurt like hell, too."

"No holding back with this thing," Ikkaku said. "It's not subtle."

"No kidding," Erza murmured. "But… thanks."

"Yeah, whatever. Let me know when you're recovered for another spar. Me, I'm goin' back home. See ya around."

With that, he plain and simply left, leaving Erza with aches only trumped by her confusion and awe.

* * *

It was one day later, and again she was in the golden palace, Tetsu no Tama's arrogant visage staring down at her, lazily leaned back against a throne with a cup in his hand- which, of course, was golden too. But things were a little different- the floor and the pillars which held up the roof were riddled with little cracks, and an enormous crack ran through the floor, as if the palace had almost cracked in two. It was an ugly picture for this marble house of marvels. Taking care where she stepped, Erza approached the golden throne, and bowed her head.

"Yes, yes, you may raise your head," Tetsu no Tama said, a little irritably, sipping from his cup.

"What… happened here?" Erza asked, looking around. It was pandemonium- luxurious couches and divans split in two or overturned, vases shattered, fine rugs torn and frayed…

"Do you expect you can swing me about so roughly without consequences?" Tetsu no Tama said, leaning back on his throne. "Do you expect that you are the only one who hurts in those battles, hmm? We are one, Erza, and I am the one who bears the brunt of every act of violence you commit."

"I'm… sorry." Erza said, hanging her head. "I never considered that you felt it too…"

"Oh, lighten up!" Tetsu no Tama sneered, although not in a particularly angry manner. "I am your weapon, Erza. This is what I was made for. Does a muscle complain that it must lift something heavy? Does the eye complain that it must see? Does the tongue complain that it must speak? You are much too soft, Erza- I bear these scars with pride, as should you!"

To her surprise, he was actually smiling.

"But… your palace…" Erza murmured confusedly.

"I made it once. I can make it again." He said dismissively. "You should have seen it after you first fought that wretch- it was chaos. Half the pillars had fallen out of place. But this is not your petty world of physical things, Erza- by my will, I rebuilt it. I am rebuilding it even now."

Erza saw a small piece of floor tile, broken off and shattered, pull itself together and seemingly by itself place itself on the space of the floor where it belonged. Things worked differently here, it really did…

"So, now you have seen the awesome power of a bankai." Tetsu no Tama said, putting one hand on each armrest on his throne, leaning forward a little, "and it was a thug's bankai… but it _was_ bankai. His power would pale in comparison to my own, of course."

"I need it." Erza said simply, looking him in the eye. "Tell me, Tetsu no Tama, what must I do to unlock your true power?"

His face hardened, and he crushed the cup in his hand. "Bite your tongue, Erza!" He snarled out the words, glaring at her. "You dare speak of gaining my true power? You may be older than myself, but you are a child with a childish dream, led like a simple ox by its nose ring! Madarame Ikkaku is a thug, but he has gained the respect of his zanpakutou, learned its innermost secrets and desires, pleased it and fulfilled its every condition. You, Erza, are a thousand years too early to even speak of bankai, you wretched mongrel!"

"I must have it." Erza insisted, gritting her teeth. "I won't settle for anything less. If I have to beat it out of you, so be it."

In a flash, Tetsu no Tama had stood up from his throne, walking down its stairs to greet her, a furious expression on his face.

"Violence!" He sneered. "It is always violence with you, simpleton master! A thug Madarame Ikkaku may be, but he is true to himself. Are you?"

"Would you grant me your power if I weren't?" Erza countered, firmly staring him in the eye. He was tall, up close, a full head taller than her. He had never left his throne before, not that she could remember- this was extraordinary.

"Do not tempt me to take them away." He said coldly, grabbing her by the hem of her shirt, pulling her up face to face, almost lifting her off the floor. "You have ambition, Erza Scarlet, and of that I approve. You have power and honesty, and of that too, I approve. You have learned to show respect, and that too I approve of. However!" -He almost shouted out the last word- "I will not tolerate arrogance such as this. Bankai? Without having even learned to materialize me in your filthy little world? Without knowing every fiber of my being, without knowing what I want and how to treat me, without knowing me more intimately than any lover? Without truly knowing yourself? That is a childish dream, Erza, like the toddler who says he will bring down the moon."

"If I cannot believe the impossible, then how can I change the world?" Erza bit back.

"Hmmph!" The spirit sneered, letting go of her shirt, almost shoving her back. "Somebody else's words, put in your mouth for you to regurgitate and digest!"

"Tell me," Erza said stubbornly, "what must I do?"

"You must know it yourself." He said, slowly stepping back up the staircase to his throne.

"What do you mean?" Erza said insistently. "What sort of riddle is this?"

He did not answer, not until he had sat himself down on his throne, taking his sweet time in doing so. Leaning himself back, resting his cheek on one of his hands and giving her a curious look, he said,  
"I suppose there are… _some_ things you would need to first accomplish before you even _think_ of achieving bankai."

"What?" Erza said eagerly.

"Do not accept such disrespect, for one." He said dryly. "What sort of owner lets her zanpakutou push her around like this?"

"WHAT?!" Erza cried out, exasperatedly. "First you give me a long and angry lecture, and then you chide me for not stopping you?"

He ignored her, and she could swear she saw a smirk on his face as he continued,  
"You must gain full control of your power. You were strong in life, Erza, and your power has only grown since… yet, you only have control of half of it. Some shoddy fighters, like those eleventh division Neanderthals, would think that enough, but I demand more. Learn to control your power fully, physically and spiritually. If you could, you would be strong enough that only a captain's bankai could stop you in a direct fight."

Erza nodded. "I understand."

"Do not interrupt!" Tetsu no Tama snapped. "Secondly, you must learn to see reality for what it is. Stop expecting it to suit your naïve, childish expectations of justice, kindness and mercy."

"I can't…" Erza murmured.

"What did I _just_ say?" The spirit sneered. "Honestly, is she even listening…? Well, thirdly: you must open your eyes, Erza. These are the three things you must do before you can speak to me of bankai."

"What?" Erza said. "What do you mean, 'open my eyes'? And… see reality for what it is? Stop believing in right and wrong? How could you ever ask me of that?"

"This audience is over, child," Tetsu no Tama said reservedly. "Do not come here again until called upon."

"Wait! Wait-" Erza began, but the palace dissolved around her, and she was back in the real world. Making a fist, she slammed the ground in front of her in frustration. That damned, vain spirit!

* * *

Ikkaku was lazing about in eleventh division's main building gardens, just relaxing in the sun and nursing a few bruises. Not a lot was going on; no big hollow hunts were coming up any time soon, Erza was off doing who knows what… when there wasn't fighting to do in one way or another, there simply wasn't much to do. His captain wasn't far off, arguing with Yachiru- he never won those arguments; that little brat always did whatever she wanted. Lying himself back under a tree, he drifted off in a half-sleep. It would probably have turned into a proper nap, if not for his captain walking by. Ikkaku opened an eye, seeing him take a seat outside the door, looking just as bored as Ikkaku. He always got a bit irritable when he didn't have good fighting to do, and an irritable Kenpachi was never a good thing.

"Yo, Ikkaku," he grunted, leaning himself against the wall. "What you up to?"

"Nothin', boss." Ikkaku said. "Nothin' ter do, is there? They say there's gonna be a purge out inna Rukon come Thursday, but that's three day's from now."

"Three days." Kenpachi grunted, like the words tasted of gall. "Three days, an' we get to butcher weaklings. Maybe a tougher one or two, if we're lucky. Fuckin' piss weak, innit? All the strong 'uns here refuse to give me a fight, too."

"I feel ya, boss," Ikkaku said, sitting himself up. "Battle's where we belong. But there's nuthin' to it. No people to fight… well, we could rebel an' take on the whole Gotei, that'd be fun."

Kenpachi looked at him, as if considering his joke as a serious suggestion, weighing violent treason against boredom.  
"Nah." He said at last. "Lotsa headache, that." He leaned back, sitting quiet for a bit.  
"You look kinda beat up, though. Who did you over?"

Ikkaku rubbed his forehead, which, like many other parts of his body, was sore since yesterday.  
"Just training. A spar what got pretty intense, is all."

"You lose?" Kenpachi said, with just a mild interest.

"Barely won. Took me an hour. Give it a year, and I don't think I'll be able to beat her. Crazy strong, that one."

"Her?"

"Oh. Yeah, it's that Scarlet girl. Vice-captain of fifth. You know her, right?"

"The big-tittied redhead you used to knock over all the time?" Kenpachi said, sounding confused. "She looked weak as shit."

"You saw her years back, boss." Ikkaku said, feeling like he just made a mistake. "Powerful energy, lotsa raw talent. Shifts around between a whole buncha weapons- spear, greatsword, double swords, great axe, an' she uses them all like a fuckin' expert. It's a hell of a hassle to deal with, somebody who can just switch styles in a second. Mad strong, too… she's grown a lot."

"An' you say she's surpassin' ya?" Kenpachi said, furrowing his brows with interest."

"…aye," Ikkaku said, nodding slowly. "I only keep up cos' I sparred with her so long, I know exactly how she moves. She's stronger'n I am for sure, growing better every day. Give it a few years, and I don't know many people outside the rank of captain what will be able to take her on."

Kenpachi grinned, which was always a sight that could be taken right out of a nightmare.  
"Ya don't say." He said, and stood up, slinging his long, sleek sword over his shoulder.

"Uh, boss? She's strong, but she ain't _that_ strong." Ikkaku said hastily.

"Shaddap." Kenpachi said dismissively. "I'm bored as all fuckin' shit. Haven't had a good damn fight for like, five sodding years now. Don't care if you like her, don't care if you're nailin' her or some shit- I think I'll go have a look myself at this mad powerful woman."

With that, he walked out of the garden intently, Yachiru cheerily hopping after him, getting on his back. Ikkaku put the palm of his hand to his face. Shit… he'd avoided killing Erza the other day, but he might have done it now anyhow.

* * *

Celebration had not been so early to shake, Erza had found out. It was a day off, and after her incident with the zanpakutou, Rangiku had ambushed her, along with Isane, Momo and Lisanna, and taken her out- quite against her wishes- to a spa in the first district in the Rukon. It turned out that Rangiku had been right; being a high ranking officer _did_ let you get into nice places quite easily. Though Erza was not too keen on it initially- she'd rather have trained more- she had let herself be convinced. As it turned out, massages, sauna and a good lunch were actually very relaxing, especially for her sore muscles from the other day. So it was that, six hours later when they headed home, she was in a pretty good mood.

Good things do not last, though.

Just as they were walking home, the Gotei's walls just within sight, their way was blocked by the tall, lean and muscular frame of Zaraki Kenpachi. He looked at her like a shark sizing up its lunch, sword lazily resting over his shoulder.

"Zaraki-taichou?" Rangiku muttered worriedly. "What- what is he doing here?"

Cautiously, the five of them walked toward him, hoping to just pass him by- but no such luck.

"Erza Scarlet." The Kenpachi rumbled, pointing at Rangiku. "That you? Ikkaku said you had big tits an' red hair."

"What?!" Rangiku said. "No, no, no, no-"

"I am she." Erza said, stepping forward.

"Oh yeah. Your hair kind of is a bit redder." Kenpachi said, nodding. "Anyway, I heard yer strong. Proper strong. That true, girl?"

"I don't know about that," Erza said, her hand slipping toward her sword, "who told you that?"

"I know Ikkaku got his ass beat up pretty bad, an' then he tells me you're stronger'n him. I reasoned you had to be proper strong, an' there's only one way of measuring that kinda thing."

"Ken-chan's gonna kill you!" The pink-haired child in his shoulder cheered. "Please try and give him a fun fight, though!"

"Beat it, Yachiru. I'm gonna bust loose now, so get outta the way," he said, his voice rough.

"O-kay, Ken-chan!" Yachiru chirped, hopping off his back and to the sidelines.

"Please, Zaraki-taichou, you can't just attack your fellow officers!" Rangiku protested.

Kenpachi shot her a glare. "Get out the way, trash, or I'll cut you down first."

"Why?" Erza asked. "I don't want to fight you."

"Why?" Kenpachi said, as if she had just asked a really dumb question. "I love fighting. You're strong. I don't need no reason other than that."

"And if I refuse?" Erza said defiantly.

"Then you get cut down in the first strike," Kenpachi said dismissively.

"Erza, this is madness!" Rangiku hissed. "You can't you can't fight him! He's _Zaraki Kenpachi_. He's a monster!"

"Sure am." Kenpachi said, the grin on his face as wide as ever.

"Look," Rangiku hissed between her teeth, "we'll distract him. He gets lost easily. Then… just hide, or whatever. Get away. Get to your captain."

"She's right, Erza," Momo said, her voice trembling with nervousness, "you can't fight him. We'll- we'll figure something out-"

"No." Erza said firmly.

"WHAT?!" Rangiku shrieked. "You can't be serious!"

"Attagirl." Kenpachi said, nodding approvingly.

"Erza, you can't!" Momo insisted, frantically tugging at Erza's shihakusho, as if to pull her away from there. "He'll- he'll- you could die, Erza!"

"So could you if you got in his way." Erza said grimly. "I won't have that. If he cut one of you down instead of me, when I just… ran like a coward? Do you think I could live with that?" She made a fist, and a look of determination crossed her face. "No. That's not happening."

"It's just like the old days, isn't it?" Lisanna said, taking a deep breath. "You never changed, not that much."  
The way she said it was a knighthood, as fine a compliment as she could get.

"Erza," Isane pleaded, somehow being the calmest of them all, "I've seen people come into our division with horrible injuries, with limbs cut off, with open bellies and their entrails spilling out. I've seen cracked skulls, I've seen more broken legs and arms than I can count, and I've seen people with injuries they'll never recover from. You see some really terrible things if you work in medical."

"And it's the worst when Kenpachi's done it?" Erza said, looking her in the eye.

"No." Isane said quietly. "I can't remember we ever had to patch up anybody from fighting with him."

"So, what?"

"Because the people he fights, when that happens… they just die." Isane said matter-of-factly. "You're incredibly strong, Erza, but this is out of your league."

"I know." Erza said simply, and looked at Lisanna. "Do you want to add something?"

"Go for it." Lisanna said. "It's hopeless- but we are Fairy Tail, and hopeless isn't nearly enough to stop us, is it?"

"Thanks." Erza said, smiling. She turned to Kenpachi, and pulled her sword out from its sheath.

"Finally!" Kenpachi grumbled. "Your pals are real fuckin' chatty, ain't they?"

"With me, Tetsu no Tama," Erza mumbled, and felt the spirit give its approval, although a bit hesitantly. Her weapon not yet changing into its shikai form, she stepped up, assuming a stance.  
"Get back, you guys. Now." Erza said firmly. Her eyes were on Kenpachi, completely focused, but she could sense them moving back. She could hear Momo cry out, a heart-rending, shrill cry of fear- but she was going, whether by her own will or carried by somebody else. She focused her thoughts on the battle to come. Kenpachi was holding up his sword, and any second now, any second, it would begin…  
What could she do, but fight? She could run, but she didn't like running. It was true that she didn't want her friends to get caught- but it was only part of why she had done it. She was stubborn, she knew- too stubborn to run away from something like this. And… deep down, she wanted to fight him. She wanted to beat him. She would not have sought him out for revenge; Kiganjo had not meant that much to her- but here and now, without a choice in the matter, it was fine. So… what was taking the bastard so long?

Kenpachi had cocked his head, and looked at her questioningly.  
"Tell you what," he said, opening up his coat to show off his muscular, scarred chest, "you look kinda weak. I'll give you a free hit, to make it more even."

Erza blinked. What kind of trickery was this? Was he mad? Well- that he was, actually. Well, she wasn't one to waste an opportunity, not now… quickly, she rushed forward, closing the distance while being wary of sudden movements. She held her sword high, and cut down hard.  
It was like hitting her sword against a brick wall. It skid and slid off, just barely drawing blood. Kenpachi gave her an unimpressed look, then looked to his chest, where a shallow cut was slowly trickling down blood.

"C'mon, that it?" Kenpachi grumbled. "That was pathetic- I'm almost tempted ta let ya go. Then again, I ain't had a decent fight in forever, an' I did come all the way out here. So…" He raised his sword, and took a step forward. Quickly, Erza jumped back, her sword shifting into the two longswords she was so used to fighting with. Deciding to take the initiative, she dashed forward, cutting at him, trying to stab whatever could be stabbed…  
Moving with the ease and skill of a veteran, Kenpachi caught her swords, somehow moving his enormous blade fast enough to match the speed of her own two swords at once. He struck with a furious power, each strike reminding her of the power in Ikkaku's bankai- raw, vicious, and fast. She caught his blade with one of her swords, nearly getting knocked over by the raw force behind it, and raked her other sword across his mid-section. She drew blood, but he didn't even seem to notice- like a berserker, he lunged forward, batting his blade at her with an absurd power.

Holding a hand over her mouth, Isane watched the fight commence, a good hundred feet away. Surprisingly, Erza was keeping up- she had not been cut down immediately, as she had feared. Momo was beside herself, her head buried in Rangiku's shihakusho, the older shinigami trying her best to comfort her.

"Lisanna," Isane said, looking to the third seat, who was observing the fight with an eerie calm, "I need you to go fetch Unohana-taichou. _Now._"

"I need to see this." Lisanna said firmly. "She is fighting an impossible enemy."

"She is going to get killed, Lisanna!" Isane snapped.

"I thought that a lot of times, about my fellow guild mages," Lisanna said, "when I was little and first joined the guild. You wouldn't understand, but… doing the impossible, defying the odds… we've done that so many times that I can have hope even now. Erza is strong. Believe in her."

"I do believe in her!" Isane shouted, surprised at the anger in her voice, "But I can't sit by here and do nothing. As vice-captain, I order you- _go get Unohana-taichou!"_

"Can't you do it yourself?" Lisanna murmured irritably. Rank had been pulled, and even now she was loath to disobey.

"I will be needed here." Isane said firmly. "If she survives, somebody has to try and stop the bleeding. Who will do that better- me, or you?"

"…all right," Lisanna said reluctantly.

"GO!" Isane shouted. Obeying her command, Lisanna stood up, and flashed away into a shunpo.

Erza was breathing heavily already. She had cut him many times, but never more than shallowly. Although it had been a hair's breadth, she had avoided taking a real hit so far. It was strange- a monster he was, with all the strength you might have expected- yet, she was somehow keeping up. She was somehow reading his movements, somehow countering his attacks, somehow even fighting back. A captain, against her, somehow not killing her. She had a creeping suspicion, though, that he had much, much more to give.

"Come on, come on!" He roared, cutting at her again and again, Erza just barely parrying his wide slashes, "switch weapons already! You think those sissy swords will help you win?"  
He was enjoying himself, Erza realized- it was fun to him.

"All right," Erza said, dodging under a wide swing, and kicking high up, into his face, then jumping back a few steps, "all right, I'll show you."

"Attagirl," Kenpachi said, waiting just a second.

"Render!" Erza snarled, and her sword reshaped itself into the long, straight, ugly black greatsword, nearly as long as she was tall.

Kenpachi gave a whistle. "Not bad. Question is… can ya use it?"

Erza let out a war-cry, and charged him, cutting at him with all force. Her swings were slower, the blade being heavier, yet she was almost pushing him back- swing by heavy swing, she was matching his force, his raw power.  
However, it was not to be. Catching her blade with just one hand, he guided it down into the ground, hitting hard- and with what seemed like the flick of his wrist, he cut down and up, from her hip to her shoulder. Erza cried out; the pain was familiar yet every time as much of a surprise. She staggered back, barely holding on to her sword. She was lucky enough that she hadn't been cut at her main sword arm, yet she could barely stand on her feet. She sunk to one knee, glaring at him defiantly.

"See, that's the problem with having a lotta weapons," Kenpachi said, grin as ever-present on his face, "you learn a lotta styles and that's useful, but you don't become a proper expert with even one of 'em. Your sword's too heavy for ya, and you use it like a rookie." He raised his sword, and she knew she had only a couple of seconds.

_"That arrogant ignoramus!"_ She heard the prideful voice of her zanpakutou, and the world seemed to slow down a little. _"There he stands, insulting me, when he does not so much as have a connection to his own sword! That brute treats it like a tool- he knows no respect, dignity or humility. He must be taught a lesson, Erza!"_

"I tried!" Erza said, feeling weak, "I tried! But what can I do? He is just so… strong!"

_"This is a special occasion,"_ Tetsu no Tama said thoughtfully, _"And… yes, just this once. You wanted to know bankai, Erza? I shall give you the smallest taste of my true power. Let this spur you toward finding it by your own power!"_

Erza felt a surge of energy run through her body, her pain lessening. Time sped up again, Kenpachi's sword came down, and her sword was not there to greet it; all she could do was hold up her arm…  
Then there was a distinct 'clang', and his blade stopped against her arm and shoulder. She still felt the blow, but its impact was stopped. Ignoring the pain, she stood up, sword in hand. She was covered in armour- a light black shade of plate mail, with deep black crosses on its chest and legs. All but her head was covered in it, thickly protected. She felt different- powerful, in control.

"Now what's that?" Kenpachi said, still pushing his sword against the armour, as if testing its strength. "What you pull out there, woman?"

Giving him a contemptuous glare, she held her arm up against his blade, and with one swift motion cut him across the chest with a power that she had thought impossible just a minute ago. Blood sprayed across the ground, as her steel hit home, hard and true, rending its way through her enemy's flesh and bone. Kenpachi staggered back, the cut wide across his chest. He stood there, looking at it dumbfounded, and for a moment Erza almost let herself believe she had won.

"Well, son of a bitch…" Kenpachi said. Then, he looked her in the eye, and grinned wide again. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about, Scarlet!"

Not giving him pause, Erza charged forward, moving her sword with speed, cutting, slashing, slamming, keeping the man on his guard. She felt powerful, strong, like she had become raw energy- yet at the same time her body felt chilled, like a body-wide tooth-ache, like nails across a chalkboard, like she was too little butter being spread over too little bread.  
To her surprised, she was actually pushing him back, the power behind her strikes seeming to almost overwhelm him- cutting madly, stabbing, thrusting, striking. Finally, she slapped his sword aside with one powerful swing, and cut down with all her might. Again, Render hit home, and again Kenpachi's blood spilled plentifully down to the dirt road they stood on. Erza stopped for a second, panting heavily- the raw power was still there, but it was expiring, fading, and she felt like her entire being was being spent with it. Kenpachi seemed not to notice though, as he threw his head back, laughing madly.

"Yes! Yes!" He roared, shouting his approval to the heavens, "That's the spirit! Cut me! Hurt me! Put your back into it, girl!" He pointed his sword at her again, and with his laugh finally having died down, he still grinned, and said,  
"You are a lotta fun. Who'da thought it? So I'm going to go all out."

He raised his hand toward his eye, and Erza's heart sank in her chest. All out? This was not all out already? Damn… of course it wasn't, but… _damn!_  
And then, Kenpachi took his eye patch off. Under it, he had a perfectly functional eye. Not that Erza paid it any attention- the massive explosion of reiatsu that followed, nearly knocking her off her feet, took up all her focus. She could swear she saw a black skull behind him, laughing at her menacingly, as his reiatsu- yellow and bright, blazing like wildfire- washed over her like wild tidal waves. It was like looking up at a mountain, like being stared down by a titan, like facing a tiger with your bare hands- it was utterly overwhelming. Fear rose in her heart, and she braced herself.

"What… the hell?" She murmured, holding her sword up.

"This?" Kenpachi said, gesturing at the eye patch. "I'm too damn strong, y'see, so I had the science boys make me this thing. Suppresses my reiatsu something fierce, and makes me rely on just the one eye. More fun that way, eh?"

"That's… insane." Erza said, breathing heavily. The energy was leaving her; forcing it to stay felt like staying under water when you knew you had to breathe.

"Well, here I go," Kenpachi said, raising his sword, "now don't die too fast, okay?"

He brought his sword down, and the power was simply overwhelming. Desperately, against all odds, she tried to parry the wide slash- but like a juggernaut, it powered down on her, with irresistible force. It clove straight through Render like it were a twig, and cut right through her arm, lodging itself in her chest. Erza stared in shock. She had dropped her sword- and next to it, on the ground, lay her arm, bleeding profusely. The sword itself was _in her chest,_ cutting right through her breast. Wide eyed, she stared in shock at the grinning, daemonic face- and then he jerked his sword out, and Erza collapsed, and fell into blissful unconsciousness.

Isane ran, the moment she saw Kenpachi turn his back and leave. Oh god- oh god! Erza, was she… hurrying up to her, she saw the state her friend was in. With the seasoned experience of a trained combat medic, she immediately went to work- it was ugly, and seeing Erza cut up like this hurt to watch- but with the right kido, she could stop the bleeding, she could maybe even save her arm…

Unohana Retsu felt his presence well before she could see him. She had hurried out here- Isane would never send for her like this if it wasn't serious. She was a good girl, very responsible- and if it involved Kenpachi, then it was no wonder. Before long, she could see him walking down the road, two big gashes on his chest and at least half a dozen smaller ones, and a grin on his face like everything was just right with the world. Blood dripped from his sword- Erza Scarlet's, no doubt.

"Did you have fun?" She asked, as she passed him.

"It was all right," Kenpachi said, shrugging. "She was a lot stronger than I thought, that woman. If she lives, she'll make a fun challenge one day. To be honest… this was the most fun I had since I joined. Not that it's sayin' all that much."

"I see," Unohana said politely. "Of course, you will stop by my division for treatment before you head back to eleventh. Those are some nasty gashes."

"What? I ain't-" Kenpachi started, but Unohana interrupted him.

"And you will take special care not to intimidate the doctors caring for you. They are just doing their jobs. Is that understood?"

"…yeah, all right." The man grumbled. He murmured something inaudible, and probably rude- but she knew he would be true to his word. He always was, when she asked him to.

* * *

There was a light, and slowly, Erza opened her eyes. She blinked, adjusting to the light. The first sensation she felt was a headache, a bit of nausea- and remarkably, not much else. She remembered being cut, bleeding… what had happened?  
She tried looking around, although everything seemed blurry. Slowly, her sight adjusted, and she saw the familiar, clinical whiteness of a hospital room. There was a stand next to her, holding some bags with liquids in them, with little tubes in them that reached into her arm- well, drugs; that would explain why she didn't hurt. She looked up into the ceiling, just processing what had happened.  
Wait a second. She had… lost an arm. Was she… the thought struck her with a bit of horror: _cripple_. Slowly turning her head, fearing deeply what she might see, she looked to her left, where she had been cut. She could see no stump, and daring to light her head- despite a wave of nausea coming with it- she forced herself to look closer. An arm. A forearm. A hand, fingers, nails… oh, thank goodness. Willing herself to move, she looked at the hand- and the fingers wiggled just a little. Letting out a long, loud breath of relief, she fell back on her pillow.

"I would not move around too much if I were you."  
It was the soft, gentle voice of the fourth division's captain, she remembered it.  
"You are still healing, and we cannot guarantee it will recover fully. We had to more or less completely reconstruct half your lung, and the nerve endings in that arm… now that was some precision work. We expect you will make a recover, though."

"How long?" Erza managed, keeping her eyes closed.

"You have been unconscious for twelve days now," Unohana said gently, "you are lucky Isane was there. She more or less saved your life. Had she not been there, had she not called for me…"

"…Kenpachi." Erza muttered. "He-"

"Yes, he did," Unohana said, sighing. "He is the same as always- reckless, strong, a bit insane…"

"He… almost killed me." Erza murmured. "Son of a bitch…"

"Yes, I imagine you wouldn't be very happy with that." Unohana said quietly. "I have had a word with him… he won't come after you until the time is right. And you, Erza… you must _not_ fight him again, not until you are much stronger. You very nearly died."

"I don't want to fight him." Erza said weakly. "I was completely overwhelmed… after he forced me to fight. Believe me, I won't be seeking revenge."

"Good." Unohana said. "Rest now. You will need it, Erza."  
Not needing much encouragement, Erza laid back. Sleep would come soon… but as she lay there, feeling the land of dreams approach, she couldn't help but wonder… could she face him again? If she got stronger, if she gained her bankai… could she challenge him again?  
Maybe.

It would be worth a try.

* * *

**And with that, we reach the end of the chapter. Erza vs Kenpachi was a fight I always wanted to see when I started this thing, and I figured now was a good time to do it. I know some people might be upset that she lost, but this is KENPACHI. The fact that Erza managed to get him to take his eye patch off is a feat impressive in of itself. Make no mistake, as of now Erza IS as strong as a captain...Not on Byakuya's level or anything, but she could now probably kick Mayuris ass.**

**Now, about the armor she used in this fight, her "Bankai"...Yeah, that's not even close to what its full power will be, or even look like. This was, at best, an _incomplete_ bankai. Much like How Renji's was, and how Tohsiros is still Maturing, Erza's has a long way to go before achiving her true bankai..**

**That's not saying she can now use this whenever she wants ethier. This was a _one time deal_. Tetsu no tama is a VERY prideful zanpakto, and he could not, and would not, have his wielder be beaten by someone who dosnt understand the value of the bond between a soul reaper and his/her zanpakto. To lose without putting g up a fight would have been an INSULT to him, one he couldn't live with. She will never use this "incomplete" Bankai ever again. **

**Consider it a tease. You got to see how much of a boost it is, but the design itself is not final. Furthermore, she hasn't used any of its special ability's. I already know what they are, but Im not telling any of you what they are.**

**Hope you all enjoy the scene with Haribel. You can all thank GreatKingrat88 for coming up with that, it was entirely his idea. **

**Now, why did Ikkaku show Erza his bankai? Multiple reasons. One, he knows she would have figured it out sooner or later. Wit how much they spar it was bound to happen. 2, is that he realizes that she has actually surpassed him. He only knocked her down in that fight because he's so used to her fighting style. Soon, that wont be enough. He's gonna have to use it to give her a decent challenge when she inevitably gets stronger. 3rd and finally, is that he trusts her and views her as a good friend. They may be quite different, but there is no doubt that they do get along. He can trust her with this secret. Besides, by seeing a bankai and experiencing its power, he hopes that can give her that last push she needs to achive it. Which is has. She is now on the road to achieving it. How long till she gets it?...Not telling.**

**Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I know I did. If you want to show your support and tell me what you think, please leave a review. Likewise, if you felt something was wrong or off, also leave a review. Honesty is appreciated**

**Now, as for the recent fairy tail chapter...Yeah, did NOT see that coming. Glad I got to see Sorano again, always nice to see her, but that ending...Jezz, I thought this empire was tough enough as it is, but Zeref, THE ZEREF, is the one in charge of this powerhouse of a continent...Yeah. Scary.**

**Bleach was good, but sad. Im going to Miss Bazz B. He was a cool quincy and my 2nd favorite of the stern ritters...and yes, we WILL be doing that arc. I personally, cant wait to get to it. I have SO many plans for that.**

**Anyways, hope you all have a good day. Till next time!**


	19. Guilt and Trust

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. I own nothing.**

**Hey guys! We're back!...A bit later than usual...with a shorter chapter than usual...Um...Better late than never?**

**Truth be told...I'm very upset with myself that this is the case. I always want to make sure to give you guys enough material, but with two months...this is all I can offer. **

**However, because I had posted TWO chapters in july, that's why this current one was so late. However, its MY fault that its so short, given how I couldn't come up with more content with this chapter. I'm very sorry about this.**

**That all said, I hope you enjoy the new chapter. Thanks to Greatkingrat88 for writing this.**

* * *

Last time she had been here, it had been pandemonium. Here, in the spiritual realm of her zanpakutou, she had seen large parts of it wrecked- pillars overturned, a large crack across the entire floor, furniture wrecked and overturned…  
Now that she was back here again, she saw complete devastation. Only a few pillars stood up, and not one of them were even halfway whole. They had fallen, all over the room or off the cliff they rested on. The roof was gone, destroyed, and the floor looked more like the ground in a rock quarry than the marvelous marble it had been before. The furniture was gone, buried under mounds of rubble, piles of dirt, gravel and sand covering most of the floor. The staircase leading up to the palace was demolished; she had had to jump and climb to get past it. The once glorious, temple-like structure now looked like a temple ruin, ravaged by a thousand years of wind and sand. The only thing that was intact was the golden throne. Its staircase was scratched and chipped, full of little cracks, and the rug on it was dirty, soiled by dust and grit- but the throne stood tall, defiant in the face of all this chaos. And on top of it sat Tetsu no Tama, staring down at her, his arms on the arm-rests of the throne, his hands made into fists.

"You called?" Erza said cautiously, as she made her way toward the throne, carefully climbing over a piece of pillar, and walking over a pile of gravel after it. She braced herself- Tetsu no Tama was nothing if not proud, and a loss such as this would have made him furious.

"I was cut in half." He said, in a deceptively quiet tone. "That was a new and unwelcome sensation, Erza."

"…but that is not what made you angry." Erza said. "The eye does not complain that it must see, right?"

"Who said I was angry?" Tetsu no Tama snarled. "Angry? Angry? Do I look angry to you?"

Erza looked at his furiously scowling face, his clenched fists, and said,  
"…you kind of do."

"Of course I am angry." Tetsu no Tama said, his voice now calm- but obviously strained. "We were beaten by a savage brute whose only merit was raw power, a being without class or subtlety, with nothing but the most base instinct- a pitiful creature too stupid to hear the cries of his own blade."

"I'm sorry-" Erza began.

_"THAT_ is what makes me angry!" Tetsu no Tama snapped. "Your pathetic need to apologize! You were faced with a threat far beyond your level, my fool master, and you still held up valiantly. You should hold your head high with pride, that you have such a marvelous and powerful blade, such enormous determination and fighting spirit- not apologizing, like some mewling half-wit coward!"  
He held his fist to his mouth, his voice almost trembling with rage, then lowered it again.

Erza gave a small, somber smile. "How could I look at all this," she said, gesturing at the ground around them, the disorder and destruction, "and not feel sad? This is your home, Tetsu no Tama, and look at the state of it. You were cut in half- you must have hurt, too."

"Inconsequential!" The spirit snapped. "I built this place from nothing once, with the strength of only my will- made manifest through your will. I will do so again. No, if you wish to console me, if I would accept such a pathetic token of affection and weakness, then become stronger. Resolve to stand tall in the face of the Kenpachis of this world, by staying true to yourself."

Erza blinked. "You are not… angry with me for losing?"

"I am angry with you for being weak and cowardly," Tetsu no Tama said, scowling still, "but this defeat?" He shook his head. "No, Erza. I ask the best of you, because neither of us deserve any less- but I am not unreasonable. Not every battle can be won, no matter the heart, will and pain you put into it. Sometimes, you are chanceless. What matters is that even though you knew you were outmatched, you did not even think of running- you knew that though out of options you were, the least bad one was to stand and fight."

"I… thanks." Erza said, feeling surprised.

"You are still weak and cowardly," Tetsu no Tama scoffed, "and had you known me better, you would not have needed to feel surprised at this. You have a long way to go, Erza."

"…yes," she said, nodding weakly, "I suppose I do."

"So, now that you tasted a fraction of my true power… what do you think?" She could have sworn she heard a hint of excitement through his stern, angry voice.

"It was… awesome," Erza said, making a fist. "I felt… incredible. I remember that armour- and it was strong enough to stop his sword."

"Without it, he would have cloven you in two, and we would not have this conversation," Tetsu no Tama said, nodding. "Mark my words, though- I did not give you that because you had earned it, but because his brutish ignorance was an affront to my pride as a zanpakutou." He shifted a little. "That… and I feared for your life." His voice was a little softer, if only for a second, and Erza smiled.

"You said you ask only the best of me just now," she said. "Is that… how all zanpakutou do it?"

"I know not the workings of other weapons," He said haughtily, "most of them are shamefully low class, inelegant and simple, and they interest me not. I know only what _I_ ask- the best you could possibly do."

"And if I fall short?" Erza said. "If your true potential is never realized because I was very good, but not perfect?"

"Perfection is nothing, and nothing is perfect," the spirit said, "but the best you can be? That is what I want. Anything less is a half-baked, stillborn creation unworthy to be displayed to the world. If you one day gain bankai, then hold me high for all the world to see, that all may know my glory- _our_ glory. I want everything, Erza- I want harmony, I want glory, I want power, I want strength- and if I cannot have that, then I want nothing at all."

"Everything or nothing? That's a rather extreme way of viewing the world," Erza said.

"I am a mirror of yourself, Erza," the spirit said with a smirk, "and are you anything less than extreme? Anything less than extraordinary? You are my master, and you have earned that title. What else, then, could I want, but everything I could possibly have? Everything you could possibly give me?"

Erza smiled, cracking into a grin.  
"It's a deal, then," she said happily. "I'll give it my all, and I'll get to know you fully- and I'll earn that bankai one day. I'll give you everything, Tetsu no Tama. Just you wait- one day, before you know it, I'll show your full power to all the world."

"You are arrogant and brash," the spirit said, but his tone was approving, "just like myself. Demand more of the world, Erza, and more of yourself- and you may well find that it shall give more than you had thought."

* * *

That same night, Erza was on her way to meet Aizen and his two accomplices. She had received the summons the same day, the day she was let out of the hospital, and she wasn't quite sure what he wanted. Did it have to do with Kenpachi? It probably did… but surely, he couldn't blame her for it? It hadn't been her fault; she hadn't asked for it.  
Feeling slightly nervous, Erza kept her head high, marching to the fifth division gardens under the cover of darkness. There, the three of them were already waiting for her, standing by a pond in the moonlight. Erza walked up to Aizen, and bowed quickly.

"Sir." She said curtly.

"Still so formal," Aizen said, smiling. "You need not worry- I am not here to scold you."

_Was he a mind reader?_

"This ordeal with Kenpachi… I am told you nearly died."

"Nearly is never enough, captain," Erza said stiffly. "I was able to survive. That is all that matters."

"You would think it that simple, yes," Tosen said disapprovingly. "We are planning for revolution- a war to create a new, better world. _Everything_ matters, not just your endurance and hardiness, Scarlet. You were made a public spectacle of- you, who should be keeping yourself back. None of us should draw any more attention than is proper, and that was certainly not proper. You should have run, not-"

"Kaname, enough," Aizen said. His tone was gentle, but there was a firmness in his voice, and Tosen immediately closed his mouth.  
"You believed you had no options, correct?" Aizen said, nodding at Erza. "That running would do you no good in the long run?"

"It was possible to run, I think," Erza said, nodding slowly, "but I wouldn't risk him taking it out on my friends. He is a monster- who knows what he might have done?"

Aizen nodded. "As expected of you, Erza. I recruited you because you had moral fiber, because you were exceptional- not every decision we make will be the most reasonable, but you made the best choice you could. But… be careful, Erza. Kaname is a bit overzealous, and I do not mind you doing the extraordinary- in fact, you acting restrained would be more suspicious than a ludicrous act like that. But make no mistake, we will one day be at war. Be cautious in your actions, Erza, because this is no game. Perhaps you could not run this time… but you may have to learn to run away in time."

"As you say," Erza said stiffly.

"Most importantly," Aizen said, "you must not fight Kenpachi again. Certainly not any time in the near future. You must avoid that at all costs. He is much too strong, and never mind the commotions- you might not be lucky enough to survive the next time."

"No need to give me an order like that." Erza said, making a fist. "He's out of my league. I hate to admit it, but I can't beat him- not even close. Not… yet, at least. I will be keeping out of his way, don't you worry."

"Good." Aizen said, smiling. "That was all, I think. I will see you in the morning, Erza." Giving her a nod, Aizen began to walk away, Tosen in tow like a dog on a leash. As she watched him walk away, she noticed that Gin was lingering- in the pale moonlight, he looked like a devil, more like a monster than ever. Feeling a chill creep up her spine, she began to walk away.

"Now, now, where y'all off to in such a hurry?" Gin said, in his regular lazy drawl.

"To my bed, captain. To go sleep." Erza said, and if she had sounded stiff before, she was now more rigid than a stone pillar.

"Real important, that. Gots t'get that beauty sleep, don't we? Wouldn't do t' carry out the revolution if we weren't looking our best, aye?"

"Sir?" Erza said, wishing he'd just keep quiet, and far away from her. No doubt sensing how uncomfortable she was, Gin took a few steps closer.

"Aw, nothin'," Gin said. "I'm just talkin', ain't I? That a crime, vice-captain, sir?"

"Of course not." Erza said, steeling herself. Though she was sure he'd never dare go against Aizen's orders, nothing about him made her feel like he wasn't a predator, like she shouldn't be ready to fight him off at a moment's notice. With a leering monster like himself, she would normally expect him to try and rape her- but she had the gnawing suspicion that if he _did_ make a move, it would be much worse than that.

"Funny thing, revolutions," Gin said, sounding genuinely amused under his quiet, relaxed drawl, "they're so fulla people who think they're dead right about everything, that they'll make everything better if they just win. An' at the same time, they can spill whole oceans of blood and not even flinch, so long as they believe it's fer a good cause. Ain't that quaint, lil' Erza?"

"You don't believe in Aizen's vision?" Erza said defensively, staring intently at Gin, at every little movement he made.

"Oh, sure I do, sure I do," Gin said, holding his hands up mockingly, as if to calm her down, "a brighter t'morrow, an' all that. Lil' kids playing in the sunshine, not bein' afraid of hollows, or bullies, or nothin', having bright futures… aye, sure I believe in that."  
If he believed in it, then Erza was the king of hollows. He was lying through his teeth, effortlessly and without even bothering to sound convincing.

"Well then-"

"Jus' like I knew it was proper honour when I had ter kill a family out'n the Rukongai 'cause their daddy had mouthed off t'Aizen, just a month ago. Sure, I didn't enjoy puttin' my sword in the two lil' kids, an' I sure didn't mean t'make their mother watch before I offed her, too. Sure didn't enjoy lookin' at the way their blood pooled inna moonlight. Nah, it was all fer 'the greater good'. I felt real sad about it, but this here is a great an' noble cause demands sacrifice. I just hope it don't make monsters of us all. Sure, a great an' noble person like Aizen, he'd never slip up, but me, I'm just a weak and uncertain person tryin' to do right, ain't I? Best just trust him, no matter what."

"Right…" Erza said. She couldn't tell what parts of it were made up or not. One thing was clear, he hadn't said a single word with any kind of honesty attached to it. "Blood… in the moonlight…"

"It looks black, y'see," Gin explained. "Trick of the eye. Ever wondered what yours would look like?" He took a step closer. Immediately, Erza reached for her zanpakutou.

"Just kiddin'," He said, holding his hands up again. Then, he opened his eyes, just once, and Erza saw the red in them.  
"We got plenty of work t'do, lil' Erza," He said, his tone low and menacing, "and ya best follow our example if ya want to keep up."

With that, he turned around, and slowly walked away. Erza let out a long, trembling breath of relief, feeling shaken. Nothing he said could be trusted- not a single word. Yet somehow, deep down, she couldn't help but wonder… what cause could possibly be just, when it had the likes of him at its side?

* * *

Halibel sat cross-legged in her room, in quiet contemplation. It was a good way to spend time- in peace and quiet, a hard-earned privilege that she enjoyed. She was not one for many luxuries, but this, sitting undisturbed without having to fear for being attacked any second, that was a privilege worth having. Apache, Mila Rose and Sun-Sun were all off in another room, quite safe… she was almost drifting into sleep, sitting deep in thought.  
It was surprising, then- and if she had been more emotional, maybe even irritating- when her meditation was disturbed. She was only vaguely aware of the approaching reiatsu until her door was opened, quite forcefully at that, by Erza Scarlet. Opening her eyes, Halibel turned to look at her.

Erza didn't say a thing, not at first, simply marching up to Halibel. She had such a fierce look on her face, so determined- it was both impressive and a little bit adorable; being a shinigami she had always had it much easier, and that fierce look always looked out of place on people like her, in Halibel's opinion- but of course, it was very honest.  
"Halibel." Erza said, standing in front of her. "I need your help."

Slowly, Halibel stood herself up, looking down on the young shinigami.  
"Speak." She said simply.

"I need to become stronger." Erza said, and there was a hint of something different in her voice- she was usually so… chipper, so light-hearted, but now she sounded hard, a bit colder… maybe even disturbed.  
"I need your help to do that."

"Do we not already train together?" Halibel asked, her tone staunch and stoic. Beneath it, though, she felt a little curious.

"Recently, I… I learned something about differences in power." Erza said, and made a fist. "I nearly died fighting a very strong shinigami. Some people are just… stronger."

"A good lesson." Halibel said approvingly. "Knowing one's place is a good way to not get oneself killed."

"I need to reach that level." Erza said firmly. "I need to fight people just that strong, until I reach my full potential and become just as strong as they are."

"You speak of bankai?" Halibel said. She was well aware of the zanpakutou a shinigami held, and the particulars of its power- she would gain one too, one day, when her lord Aizen found a way to transform her into an arrancar.

"No, not bankai," Erza said, shaking her head. "I do need one, eventually, but before that… I need _everything else_, Tier. I need to master my body. I need to master my swordwork. I need to master the chaos of a real fight. I need to learn everything I can about everything basic before I can even think of bankai."

Halibel raised an eyebrow. This was curious indeed- but she liked Erza's attitude. She was surprisingly humble for somebody so entitled.  
"And if I were to beat you brutally over and over, giving you nothing but pain a thousand times over, would that really help?"

"Beat me as brutally as you like." Erza said. She swallowed, and added, "well, as brutally as you think is right. Then, show me why I lost, and what I can do to avoid losing to that in the future. Be my teacher, Halibel."

"I know nothing of the shinigami arts," Halibel said dismissively.

"Shinigami arts is not what I need." Erza insisted. "I need experience. You've only ever fought to survive, in the harshest, most vicious places anyone could imagine, and you came out on top. I can't imagine a better teacher than that."

"Is that so?" Halibel said contemplatively. "There is no formal art to fighting for your life, for winning. All I could do is fight, fight, fight, and I am not used to restraining myself… you could get hurt, maybe badly. Maybe even die."

"I'd rather risk it and try than stay safe and be weaker than I should." Erza said stubbornly.

Without a moment's warning, Halibel lashed out with her free arm- the one not fused with a gigantic bone blade- backhanding Erza. To the girl's credit, she managed to put her arms up to lessen the blow, but still went flying, tumbling across the floor. Erza coughed, but got up to her feet quick enough, and Halibel walked toward her, sword raised. Not bothering to wait, Halibel brought her bone-sword down, and Erza just barely managed to draw her blade to block it. Halibel held back; her strike was intentionally weak, but no doubt Erza still felt the effects.

"That- that was-" Erza grunted, pushing back against Halibel.

"You wanted to learn the way of the hollow." Halibel said calmly, and under her mask she was smiling. "There are no rules there. An attack could come at any moment, from anybody, without any mercy or restraint. Forget what you learned about 'fair' and 'right' if you want to master this, Erza Scarlet."

"You could go a _little_ easier," Erza grunted. She continued to push back- then suddenly she relented, let Halibel push down, and redirected the force downwards. Her blade not in place to strike, Erza lunged forward, headbutting her. Halibel was not on to lavish praise on anybody, but it was a clever enough move- for a beginner. It was, of course, pointless- as soon as she had slammed her forehead into Halibel's, she staggered back, no doubt seeing stars.

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow OW…" Erza murmured, a hand held to her head.

"I am taking it easy on you." Halibel said, the smallest hint of amusement in her voice. "If I weren't, you would have died a dozen times by now. I think some of the best advice, in this moment, is to not slam your head into the bones of somebody whose reiatsu is thicker than yours by a factor of ten."

"I-I learned that, yes," Erza murmured, rubbing her head still.

"Again?"

"Again."

Hours later, Halibel walked away, feeling at least warmed up- she had managed to work up a sweat, although the biggest challenge had been not snapping Erza like a twig. Vasto Lord or not, she had the hollow's killing instinct still.  
Erza, for her part, looked a mess. She was on her knees on the marble floors of the room they had trained in, and blood and bruises were all over her face, her body, and she was positive she had cracked at least two ribs. She was exhausted, too- Halibel had claimed she was going easy on her, but if this was easy then she didn't want to know what hard was. But this was still the path she had to walk, the path to strength, the path to a future where she would stand on equal ground with monsters like Kenpachi… and win.

"You look like you need a hand." It was the ever so surprisingly kind voice of Neliel, always contrasting her grim appearance. She walked up to Erza, looking concerned.

"I'm- I'm fine," Erza said, breathing heavily. "Just… just need to… rest a bit."

"You need more than rest, I think." Neliel said, offering her her arm. "Are you badly hurt?"

Erza shook her head, and held up her hand.

"Good, then." Gently, Neliel took her arm, and pulled her up, putting Erza on her back.  
"Keep your balance, and I'll take you to my room. Aizen-sama has left some medical supplies here, just in case."

"That… yeah, that'd be good right now." Erza said weakly, holding on to the centaur-like hollow as she gently trotted down the halls. For a race of monsters, they weren't terribly monstrous…

* * *

The next day, still feeling a little sore, Erza had just returned from a day of patrols- part of which had really just been listening to details of Aizen's plans to come, while his zanpakutou had conjured an illusion of her walking out- when she saw Momo, on her way back to her personal quarters.  
Momo. Who might one day be her enemy, who might one day hate her as a traitor- no, Momo could never hate anyone. She would be heartbroken, and that was even worse. It _was_ treason she was party to, all for a better tomorrow… a better tomorrow that would mean war, blood, death, that would mean friend against friend and all order turned upside down. And she would be fighting on the same side as Ichimaru Gin, not Hinamori Momo, and something about that felt very, very wrong.

"Oh, hello Erza," Momo said cheerily, waving at her as she walked by.

"Momo," Erza murmured, waving back unenthusiastically.

"Is something wrong?" Momo said, concern in her voice, stopping and standing face to face with Erza.

"No, no, I'm just fine" Erza lied, and felt a stab of guilt as she did, "I've just… had a lot on my mind lately."

"That's fine." Momo said, nodding understandingly. "I would feel down too… that whole thing with Zaraki-taichou, that was just wrong." She said, huffing indignantly.

"It's not that." Erza murmured. "I'm…"  
She realized, and stopped herself not a moment too soon, that she wanted to tell her everything. Every clandestine little detail, every little part of the plan, get it all off her chest and damn the consequences. She hadn't realized, not until this moment, how much this had weighed on her. She was strong, always had been, but strength came in many varieties- and lying, keeping secrets, living two lives, that was not one of her strengths. She could see that plenty clear in this moment, with Momo's innocent, trusting face staring up at her. She wanted to tell her. But of course, she couldn't.  
"Er, um," Erza said, struggling to come up with another lie, feeling yet another pang of guilt, "I feel… lost." She said lamely, at last.

"Lost, Erza?" Momo said, blinking at her innocently.

Erza drew a deep sigh, one bordering on a groan, and said,  
"Look, have you ever… have you ever felt like you're walking down the wrong path in life? Like you made a mistake somewhere, and even though you thought you did the right thing, you might be doing it wrong anyhow?"

"What do you mean?" Momo said. "Is something bothering you? You always seem so sure of yourself, I didn't know you…"

Realizing the situation might well be slipping away from her- and gods help her if Ichimaru thought Momo knew something she shouldn't- she almost desperately managed, croaking the words out,  
"I- I joined here. Years ago now. I wanted, uh, to make this a better place. I mean, not _this_," she said, gesturing vaguely at the space around them, "not the Gotei, but the whole of the Soul Society. I know that's a weird, stupid, impossible idea, but I wanted it to be better. I wanted the village I started in to be safe, and all the other villages, I didn't want them to be so weak and defenseless. I wanted to protect them all… so I joined here, far away from them- and that just feels ridiculous, but I had to- so I could help them. And I do. I send them money. But… it doesn't feel enough. At all. I can't help them, I can't protect them if they need me, not them and not anyone else, and even though I try really hard, that's the way it is. Sometimes I just wonder… did I really make the right choice? Did I really… should I ever have left?"  
Lying worked better when you weren't _technically_ lying, when Momo thought she meant joining the Gotei in the first place… it still made her feel guilty, but not as much.  
"Never mind me." Erza murmured awkwardly, looking at Momo's confused expression. "I'm rambling. Forget I said anything."

"Everyone has these doubts." Momo said simply. "That's okay, I think. It's what makes us people. You worry about everyone, because you're a good person, Erza. Maybe you can't protect that village, but you can't protect everyone all of the time. All of us, each one, can't control a whole lot of our lives. We just do our best."

Quietly, Erza nodded.

"And remember," Momo continued, "if you hadn't joined up, I'd be dead right now. Me, and a whole lot more people. You did the right thing. You always do the right thing, because you're Erza. Even if choosing something is difficult, you'll always choose right, because you're a good person."

"I wish it were that easy." Erza murmured, but still felt some relief, Momo's words being like balm to an aching wound. "But… isn't it… should I really try? To look out for more than just my own? I can't hope to change the whole world."

"You want to make things better." Momo said firmly. "You do that, because it's who you are. How can you change the world, if you can't believe the impossible?"  
Momo's words, innocent and sincere, resonated with her. They were Aizen's words, almost to the letter- but without the guile, without the ruthlessness and pragmatism, without the readiness to sacrifice and work with monsters, for the greater good…  
They were words to live by.

"…maybe you're right." Erza said, smiling slightly. "Thank you, Momo."

"Any time!" Momo said cheerily. "Oh, shoot- I'll be late for cleaning duty! I have to run, Erza!"  
Waving at her cheerily, Momo half ran, half marched away from there, and Erza let herself smile a genuine smile, for what felt like the first time in ages.

* * *

The years passed, one after the next, with a speed that seemed surreal. Always keeping the façade alive, always planning ahead, Erza felt uneasy every day. Knowing what she did was right, that there was a cause for it and that one day it would be over was little help. What Momo had said that one day had helped her believe, helped her stay her course- what they did was necessary, and revolution was never pretty- but still, the more it went on, the more she felt that hiding was not her style. This secrecy, this two-facedness, it came so naturally to Aizen… yet, it only made her uncomfortable.  
Still, there were good times. Like today, the day of Nozomi's graduation. The five years had passed in a flash, the young girl working hard every step of the way, reaching the top of her classes. In between her duties, her training with Halibel- which had been harder than any she had gone through; the Vasto Lorde was absurdly strong and pushed her to her very limits- and whatever Aizen would need her for, she had had little time to visit. In the times she did, though, she had seen a clever, driven young woman, one with wit and intelligence and the will to make something of it.

Here she stood, five years later, a fully graduated shinigami, no longer wearing the red and white kimono of a student, a sword at her side, streaming out alongside a horde of fellow graduates, a sea of young, bright and hopeful faces, all clueless about what lay ahead of them…  
But today was about Nozomi. Being an artificial construct hadn't hampered her any, as far as Erza could tell- if anything, it seemed to be in her favour; her reiatsu control was extraordinary, and she was at the top five in her kido class.

"Erza!" Nozomi cried cheerfully, almost screaming over the noise of her fellow ex-students. "Erza, I did it!"

Erza just waved, smiled, and waited for her to get closer.  
"I did it!" Nozomi said, beaming at her, putting her hands at Erza's shoulders, a look of pure joy on her face. "I made it! I'm a shinigami now, Erza!"

"Well done," Erza said, and allowed herself a smile.

"It's all thanks to you," Nozomi cried cheerfully. "If you didn't-"

"Hush now," Erza said sharply.

"Oh, I know, I'm not _stupid_," Nozomi said, both of them knowing what each of them meant. "But… still."

"It's thanks to _you_, nobody else," Erza said firmly. "Your struggles and achievements belong to you, and nobody else."

Nozomi giggled, breaking into a laugh. "You're always so serious! Come on, now is a time to celebrate- go on and let loose with me! Unless uh, you're busy?" She could see the hopeful look in her eyes.

"I have time," Erza said, with a bit of reluctant cheer in her voice.

"Awesome!" Nozomi said. "Hey, can I join your squad? Your captain seems like a good man, and… well, I want to have a friend there." She grinned widely.

"You should give that decision careful thought," Erza said strictly, and the two of them began to walk away, the flow of students beginning to ebb, "it should not be done lightly, but with consideration."

"Always so serious." Nozomi said dismissively.

"But… if you really are sure, then it could be arranged." Erza said, nodding. Nozomi looked ready to burst with joy, and it pained Erza to bring her into the fold like this- only to keep the truth from one more person.

"Great!" Nozomi exclaimed. "When can we do it?"

"If you're insistent…" Erza said, tapping her chin. "If you _really_ want it done quick, I could go get some forms from the captain's office. Then, we'll have a night out- I'll introduce you to my friends at the squad."

"Great!" Nozomi said. "All right… go ahead then. I'll wait here. Just don't take too long!"

Erza smiled, and nodded. "Not too long. Got it. You're sure-"

"Go!" Nozomi insisted, grinning widely.

Walking away, Erza smiled to herself. Even in deceit, there was something about such unabashed happiness that could not be denied.

Aizen's office was locked, but she had a key- a privilege to her status as vice-captain. She walked in, and lit the lamp. It was dark, night time coming soon, but she likely would stay up late. Celebrations were customarily of that nature, in her experience. Quietly, and trying not to mess with her captain's desk too much, she rummaged through his drawers. Application forms… they should be in here somewhere. Bottom drawer, maybe? Slowly, almost lazily, she looked through them. She was in no real hurry- they were here somewhere, and shouldn't be hard to find.  
There, at the second to last drawer she checked, were the forms- wasn't it always so?- and Erza picked them out, and moved to shut the drawer-

It was strange how things worked. It was but a stray glance, a quick look telling her something was unusual, that made her see it. If she had just shut the drawer and walked out, it all might have been different. But she didn't.  
Under a stack of papers in the drawer, she saw a large print of some kind- the paper was green, quite unlike the black and white of regular papers and its letterings, and the small corner of it that she could see was filled with little numbers, math equations far beyond her understanding. Curious, only curious and nothing else, she moved the stack a little. Was it some new paperwork? Some special order from higher up? They were rather silly sometimes-  
Then a note caught her eye.

_'Subject progressing according to design at last. Green hair, gene manipulation successful.'_

What was this?

Erza took a closer look, pulling the paper out. Her breath a-trembling, she looked closer. They were… blueprints. Diagrams, designs, full of little notes scribbled here and there. Erza was no scientist, but it looked… familiar.  
It was a design for artificial souls. Specifically, the design Nozomi had been built by; she could recognize the shape more and more now- the same height, the same properties, the same design…  
This didn't make sense. All the blueprints had been destroyed back then. Aizen had said so. Looking carefully, she tried to make sense of it. It certainly wasn't Aizen's handwriting. The more she read, the more notes she saw- it became clear. These were Kageroza's notes, the now dead mad scientist. Here, in Aizen's desk.

He had lied to her.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN! Bet you didn't see that coming!...Oh who am I kidding, we ALL knew Aizen was up to no good, its Aizen! That said, I feel it necessary to tell you that despite this, his intentions for a better soul society ARE real. **

**Also, you may be wondering why Nozomi is acting so...openly. Well, I have an answer. In her arc, Nozomi had little to no contact with the outside world, and had no one she could really trust or even call her friend. By the end, she had started to open up, but only a little. This happened in the course of...lets say a week at most. Its been 5 YEARS. 5 years of her spending time with real people, interacting with them and getting to know them. Further more, Erza was the one responsible for finding her, she's the real reason why she's more open. More friendly. However, I should make it clear that Nozomi is only THIS happy and open with Erza. This is a side of Nozomi only shows to her. **

**She's still more friendly with strangers than she was in cannon to be sure, but she would still rather be by herself than making friends with complete strangers. **

**Now...I have other news to discuss. As of last month, I have posted a poll in my profile. This poll will only be used to ask for the opinion of the readers regarding ideas for the story. The votes however, do NOT mean however that the idea WILL be used. This will mostly be used to hear your thoughts and POSSIBLE be a tie breaker for ideas. Despite how well we get along, me and my writer sometimes disagree on what needs to be done. Your input will be vital in those moments when the two of us cant reach a compromise. **

**Again, I must make this clear, just because an option gets the most votes DOSNT mean it will be chosen. It just makes the odds of it happening much, much higher.**

**Please, if you feel interested, stop by my profile and cast your vote. **

**Thank you all SO much for your patience, and for reading, and a double thank you if you leave a review!**


	20. Nothing but rain, pain, and treachery

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. I own nothing. Thanks again to ****Greatkingrat88.**

**Here we are folks, chapter 20! Easily our longest chapter to date! Thanks for sticking with us for so long! It means a lot! If you;ve have fun up until now, just wait till we get to cannon. Many surprises await once we get there. In the meantime, We've gotten over 200 reviews! Over 200! That's amazing. I want thank each and every single one of you that left a review.**

**Special thanks needs to go to AnkoHolic, Draconichero18, wolfdude16, sephiroth12285, and NoNameAvalibe Bis for being regular reviewer's. Its SUPER appreciated and I cant thank you enough.**

**With that all said and done, lets begin!**

* * *

Thrust. Slash. Dodge. Counterattack. Jump, jump, jump. Dodge again. Strike. Her entire world was violence, her heart furiously pumping blood through her veins, pearls of sweat glistening in the moonlight of Hueco Mundo, dampening her shihakusho. Erza was experiencing a completely singular focus- nothing existed in the entire universe but her opponent and the weapon she swung. Halibel had pushed her hard these last five years; after three years' worth of training, she had finally needed to not hold herself back entirely, but no matter how far Erza came, the hollow's energy seemed inexhaustible, and her power indomitable.

Strangely, Erza rather liked it.

At this moment, she welcomed the focus for more than one reason. What she had seen in Aizen's office that night, more than a week ago, had worn on her every waking hour since. There was no conceivable reason for him to have those designs- he had told her they had been destroyed by the _onmitsukidou, but she had found them there, in his possession. As much as she wanted it not to be, the vain notion that perhaps he hadn't known they were there would not root itself in her mind- Aizen was a man of deliberation, of perfect calculation and planning; if the designs were in his desk, then he most certainly intended for them to be there._  
She had wanted to confront him at once, but had held herself back. He would have an excuse ready at the tip of his tongue, and she would believe it the instant he said it- she would _want_ to, because he was a decent man serving a good cause, against tyranny and injustice. Everything she had seen had told her this.  
Yet, she had not confronted him. He had kept it from her, and now she was keeping her knowledge of this from him in turn. It was like a boil had burst, a boil of uncertainty and doubt which had worn on her for years- knowing how far they would have to go in the name of justice, what dark places it might take her… she had had these doubts for a long time, she realized, without wanting to acknowledge them.

So it was that when she dodged under a broad swipe from Halibel's blade only to receive a hard backhand, hard enough that she could feel it resonate through the bone of her skull, she felt grateful for the pain and shock it brought. Fighting, she knew. She had lived and breathed fighting since she was a little girl; it had an almost poetic simplicity to it once you had it in your blood and bones. Fight, fight, fight, be hurt and hurt back- she understood it as intimately as a virtuoso understands his violin, as the scientist understands theory, as the artist understands his vision.  
She was thrown across the floor by the blow, a spatter of blood flying from her mouth, but she turned the momentum to her advantage- a helpless tumble was quickly made into a roll, and within seconds, she was on her feet again, launching herself at Halibel, the greatsword Render in her hand. She clashed with her again, sword pushing against sword. Halibel's strength truly was indomitable, unconquerable by Erza's level of strength- but she had come a long way since five years before, when she had first asked Halibel's help. It was a unique opportunity, really- the Gotei had few sparring partners with such strength, and none of them would have the time to train Erza like this. Furious sparring, so vicious and real that the difference between a true fight and a spar was needle thin, five times each week, for five years… it had left her different.

She had not gained power. Raw power, reiatsu, was not something that you could just increase- you had what you got, and you made the most of what you had. No, what she had gained was… control. If she tried, she could feel the blood running through her veins, the beats of her heart, the acids in her stomach. She could feel the courses of reiatsu, flowing through her body, billions and billions of microscopic particles making up her body.  
She had not gained an ounce of power. She had come to harness what she already had.

Sword pushed against sword, in a furious reverse tug-of-war Erza could not possibly win. Looking unimpressed, Halibel head-butted Erza, sending her staggering back. A hard, massive swing followed immediately, and Erza just barely brought her blade up in time. She knew this move, had suffered it a hundred times and a hundred more- she knew its momentum, read it like a book, and with a simple twist she caught the blow at just the right angle. Vicious, powerful, it nearly knocked her off her feet- but it went wide, most of the force behind the blow averted, swinging away from her. The opening was small, no bigger than the quarter of a second, but Erza needed no more. Quickly, she lashed out with a foot, kicking Halibel square in the chest. The hollow was sent reeling back, although with both her feet still firmly planted in the floor. Halibel was a stoic to the core, almost impossible to read- but Erza could see it in her eyes, the lust for battle, the killer instinct. She was excited. And, Erza guessed, quite possibly pleased as well. 'Happy' might have been an overstatement; she wasn't sure she knew how to.

It would take at least two seconds for Halibel to close distance again. It would be enough. Erza held the great, black blade up, feeling a billion billion particles run through her body, up the sword and back again in lightning fast current, as the spiritual charge began to climb, awaiting her command.

"Dragon strike!" She roared, swinging the sword down. An arc of blue lightning shot out, crashing into Halibel with furious power. Every ounce of power she could use at once had been put into that strike, something she knew would likely kill almost any of her friends if it hit. But Halibel was not somebody she needed to hold back against.  
The arc hit, sending Halibel flying this time, right into the wall, and Erza sped forward, holding her sword out for a stab. She closed the distance in a second, her legs burning with the pain of muscles used to their limit as she ran, and there she was, ready to hit-

But of course, Halibel stood up in time, redirecting the force of Erza's blow right into the wall. Her sword buried itself there almost to the hilt, and Halibel put her bony, white hand on Erza's face, holding it firmly.

"This, I believe, is where I crack your skull like an egg." She said, sounding almost triumphant- in her own subtle, subdued way.

"Dammit," Erza grunted, letting her blade slide back into its shikai form, pulling the sword out of the wall. "I got overeager. Overextended, I guess."

"Should we have done battle in real life, you would surely have died." Halibel said, gently letting go of Erza's head. Her voice, _almost_ completely devoid of emotion, made Erza think of concern.

"Yes, well, that makes it no different than any match before this," Erza said with a smile. "I had a good run, I think."

"Battle cares not about 'good runs', Scarlet," Halibel said firmly. "All that matters is survival- who lives and who dies."

Erza gave her a look, and Halibel gave the slightest of shrugs.  
"Yes, you did do better. An estimate of forty-two minutes of high-intensive, demanding combat, wherein you mostly kept your guard up and even anticipated some of my moves. Your improvement is noted, shinigami."

"I'd say it was at least… oh, twelve times I saw your moves coming." Erza said cheekily. "You're not as impossible to fight as you think, you know."

Halibel scoffed, a slight frown at her face. "You have grown bold, Scarlet. Arrogant, even."

"Or maybe I am just getting inside your head, so you'll underestimate me next time." Erza said, smiling at her friend.

Halibel shook her head, and Erza half expected her to grunt disapprovingly, or some other extreme form of emotional expression.  
"Humans, shinigami… that we are distant relatives would be beyond belief, did I not know it to be true. I shall never understand you if I live to be ten thousand."

"That's how I felt when I first started speaking to my sword, and now look where I am." Erza said, her tone disarming.

"…again?" Halibel said, almost hesitantly. She was a powerhouse indeed, but she seemed a little lost in exchanges like these- it was strange to not be the awkward one for once, Erza thought.

"…no, I think this will be enough for today." Erza mumbled. "Thanks, but uh, I got some… stuff. To do. At home. Thanks, though!"  
Well, the awkward part still needed work.

"…as you wish." Halibel said, nodding. "You will find me where I always am, then."

"Sure," Erza said, nodding. "Um… bye, then." She waved awkwardly, and walked out. On her way to the portal, she fought the unease running through her- it almost made her nauseous. Truth be told, the 'stuff' she had to do was a total lie, and had Halibel been any better versed in social interaction, she would have seen right through it. Perhaps even she had seen it. It was a lie- even the singular focus of hard training couldn't make it go away entirely.  
She had been forced to join the Gotei, many years ago, under none too subtle threat. She had learned that they had intended to kill her if she said no, just recently. But even under threat, she had told herself it was the right thing to do, the right place to be. She had gained power, skill expertise… and most importantly of all, friends. All this, while doing service to humanity as a slayer of monsters and a guide of lost souls. She had been able to tell herself, for some time, that they were in the right- that _she_ was in the right. That sure, they used rough methods and had strict laws, and some of their soldiers weren't what you'd call good people, but at the end of the day they all did good work for the betterment of the world, all of them. That maybe, if she rose high enough, she could change this place for the better.

Then she had slowly seen the truth, seen the Gotei Juusantai for what it was- a cruel, uncaring tyranny whose only merit was slaying hollows. Slaying them, not because it was the right thing to do, not because they had any desire for justice, kindness or a better tomorrow, but because they wanted balance between the worlds. A status quo to keep, to make the worlds keep going, without a single care in the world for the suffering of the people in the soul society, without any concern for what means they used- if it meant hiring psychopathic monsters, then so be it. If it meant suppressing any freedom to dissent, so be it. What she had come to realize was that the Gotei was the largest dark guild she had ever seen- wretched, indifferent and evil. If Natsu had seen her serve that kind of power, he would have punched her in the face. Repeatedly. And she would have deserved it.  
Then had entered Aizen. It had been everything she should ever have wanted- to struggle _against_ tyranny, not bowing to it like a coward because she was too weak to fight it head on. To create a new world order.

But that in itself had taken her to places that were, in their own way, darker than any she had been. She had realized that while the Gotei was corrupt, ruled by callous and uncaring people who hired monsters to do their bidding, it was also full of good, earnest people who wanted nothing more than to do right, people who were dead sure that what _they_ did was justice.  
It was painfully obvious, from her perspective, that change was needed. No, not just needed- it was absolutely vital. But at the same time, she could not achieve it without hurting people. That had been the worst revelation of all- ever since she was a little girl in Fairy Tail, she had been raised to have a firm moral core. Right was right, and wrong was wrong, and you always did the right thing even if it meant breaking the rules.

It had always worked out for them.

Now, she was in a place where she couldn't do the right thing without hurting a lot of people, where she would have to make herself a traitor to all her friends. _For the greater good. And the problem was, when you started thinking the ends justified the means, where did you stop? It's not like they had had much respect for any greater sense of right, like the law, back in Fairy Tail- but here she was alone; there was no wise guild master to rely on, no friends raised next to her to be just as firm and reliable, who would stop her if she went wrong…_  
What if she one day decided that killing people, even innocent ones, was all right so long as it was _for the greater good_?

And now, on top of all of these doubts, were Aizen himself. A liar. The one she had trusted more than anything, let herself talk into treason in the name of a better tomorrow, to fix the gaping wound that was the Gotei and the entire soul society, had lied to her all this time. She wished she could call this an eye opening moment, that this was it and from now on she'd make a new path- but it wasn't. Even if Aizen were the worst scum in the world- and she certainly did not know enough to make that kind of judgment- he wasn't wrong. The Gotei was all wrong, all power and no passion, a cold an un-emphatic entity, carrying all the love and care of a dead fish.  
That was what made her so uneasy, what killed her sleep at night. That, no matter how she looked at it, she could find no right or wrong. She knew right from wrong, yet she could seem to find neither in the path she had taken. Was it always like that? Was she always just lucky enough, back in Fairy Tail, to maintain a grand delusion about morality?

What on all the earths were she to do?

* * *

"Erza! I'm so glad you could make it!"

The voice was Momo's, as strangely soothing as always. She had risen fast these last few years- she was a natural talent, better at soldiery than Erza herself in many ways. Just last week, Aizen had promoted her to third seat. She was smiling brightly, as she should- this was her party. Rangiku had been the one to insist, naturally, but it didn't seem anybody minded. It was a small gathering anyhow.. comparatively speaking. There was herself and Momo, naturally; there was Rangiku, of course, busy pouring drinks. It was some strangely coloured liqueur from the world of the living, one that she'd undoubtedly feel the sting of in the morning if Rangiku had her way. There was Isane, sitting in the couch, looking a bit uncomfortable as usual. Next to her, Nemu, resting her head against Isane's shoulder, looking oddly at peace. Good; if anybody could use a good friend, it was her. There was Nozomi, wearing her brand new shinigami's uniform even to this informal occasion, looking constantly a little amazed, and there was Rukia- not looking quite so much in the spirit of partying, but present nonetheless.

Another friend of Momo's was here as well, Hitsugaya Toushiro. Erza had never really had the chance to speak with him properly before- he was but a child, in body if not in spirit, and worked himself hard, and rarely had leisure time to spend- Erza doubted he even wanted it. Still, she was impressed by his growth rate. Becoming a third seat in only eight years was unheard of, especially for someone so young. They had only spoken briefly, but he seemed nice enough, if not especially friendly. Though, being a childhood friend of Momo, she supposed he would have to be.

Of course, there was at last Momo, beaming brightly like a child on its birthday. She had worked hard, and she had been rewarded far beyond her expectation- just the look on her face was enough that Erza could, for the moment, forget the cloud of anxiety hanging over her head like a thundercloud readying to burst with lightning.

"Of course I came." Erza said, smiling back solemnly. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. You're my precious little student, and you've come so far."

"I'm not little!" Momo exclaimed, sounding almost indignant- but there was not much that could take away her joy at this moment.

"Is that so?" Erza teased, walking in close and towering over her. She stood well over a head taller.

"I'm not _that_ little…" Momo grumbled.

"Of course you're not." Erza said, ruffling Momo's hair. "You're like a tiger in spirit. A small, adorable tiger. That's nevertheless very fearsome. And cute."

"Geez, Erza!" Momo huffed, blushing a little.

"Congratulations, Momo," Erza said, smiling a genuine smile for what felt like the first time in ages. "You earned it." She pulled Momo into a quick hug. Friends… gods, how good it felt to have friends.

"I'm- I'm not sure I did," Momo said, a little flustered as she broke the hug, "but… thank you, Erza."

"Aizen is a fair man," Erza said, not quite sure if it was a lie, "and he would never have promoted you if he hadn't believed you deserved it. He's not like _some_ captains who will go on looks alone, you know."

"I know… it's just, making third seats in five years? That's incredible, isn't it? It's faster than you, isn't it? I mean, not that I meant I'm better-"

"It's all right, Momo," Erza said reassuringly. "You probably are better, anyhow. Just wait till you start filling out the paperwork, and delegating work, and taking complaints from a million and one people who don't have the guts to go to the captain but sure don't mind going just below that- you'll be sorry then." She smiled again.

"Thanks." Momo said, giving her a quick hug again. "Well come on, it's a party- let's go have something to drink." She gave Rangiku's table of drinks- now quite full of glasses with liquids of varying, bright colours- a suspicious look, and said, "well… not too many."

"Maybe just the one?" Erza suggested, as they walked over there.

"Just the one." Momo agreed, looking excited. "Or two. But definitely not more than that."

"Good choice."

The two walked over, and Erza settled for a yellow, not-quite-as-garish-as-the-others drink. Colour, it turned out, was no indicator for taste; it burned like fire with every sip.

"Congratulations, Momo!" Nozomi cheered, walking over to the two of them. "I hope I'll do as well as you will one day!"

"Thanks- thanks!" Momo stuttered, looking a bit flustered at all the praise.

"Would you look at that, Momo- you're a role model now," Erza said, only half teasing.

"Me?" Momo said, almost shrieking- the alcohol seemed to get to her head fast. "Don't be silly- I'm just… well… me. Nothing special. I just uh, worked hard?"

"Admirable in itself." Erza said. "Like it or not, lots of people will look up to you now. It's a high position."

"Oh… oh my goodness." Momo said. "I hadn't thought of that…"

"You'll do great." Nozomi said firmly.

"Let me tell you something," Erza said. "Remember the first time I walked into your classroom, Momo? All those years back?"

"Of course," Momo said, nodding. "You looked so tough and strong…"

"I did, yes," Erza said, nodding, "but the truth is, I was completely terrified. Shaking in my boots- not literally, but I was."

"No way!" Momo said. "But you took charge of everything like it was nothing."

"Here's what I told myself," Erza said. "_Act_ like you know what you're doing, and people will believe it. And it turned out to be true, didn't it? If ever you feel unsure about something like that, just pretend you know what you're doing. When you're in charge of people, they need to believe they're being led by somebody who knows where to go and what to do. Manage that, and you've got half of leadership done already."

"Huh…" Momo said bemusedly.

"That's a great story." Nozomi said. "But… I can't imagine you being afraid of anything." She giggled.

"Oh, I'll laugh in the face of danger. Except not really laugh, but sort of glare at it, really hard. You know what I mean. Anyhow," Erza said, trying to un-awkward the point she was trying to make, "hollows are easy. Sure, they can rip your guts out with their claws, and sure they represent the worst of humanity, and sure you could die on any mission where you hunt them-"  
Seeing the faces of Momo and Nozomi, Erza realized that inspirational speeches were not really her thing.  
"What I am trying to say is, fighting hollows is easy. They want to kill you, you want to kill them, and that's all there is to it. I've got my sword, the skills to use it and power to back it up, and I walk into a fight with them, and either I die or I live. Simple. People, though? People can be terrifying. You never know what they'll do next, and you can't whack them with a sword to make them go away."

"That… makes sense, I suppose." Nozomi said, nodding. "You're strange, Erza, did anybody ever tell you that?"

"They never really stop." Erza said soberly, ironically downing her drink.

"It's a good kind of strange." Momo insisted. "It'd be boring if you weren't the way you are, Erza."

"Thanks, Momo." Erza said affectionately. "But this night isn't about me, now is it? You've done great, and we're here to celebrate _you_."

"Well, I'm not that special-" Momo protested, almost as if by routine, blushing again.

"Yes, you are." Erza said firmly, in a tone that brooked no disagreement.

"You're special and that's it, no more arguments young lady!" Nozomi said firmly, taking on a deeper tone that, supposedly, was an imitation of Erza. It wasn't the best, but it made the three of them burst out in laughter.

"Say," Nozomi said, grabbing another drink, "that's Nemu over there, right? Vice-captain of twelfth division?"

"And Isane. And Rangiku's here, too. And me, of course. You're around a whole lot of vice captains." Erza said.

"Is it true… that her captain built her? From nothing?" Nozomi said curiously. Erza knew where this was going, of course- Nozomi herself was a mod soul.

"It's awful how he treats her." Momo said, shaking her head.

"It's true, yes," Erza said. "I think the legality is a bit shaky, but he can do about anything so long as he says it's for science."

"And she's a full shinigami." Nozomi said.

"Better, actually." Momo said, nodding cheerfully. "Since she was designed, her reiatsu flow is more efficient than a regular soul's. So I heard, at least."

"So it's… an advantage, then?" Nozomi said, smiling.

"There's advantages to everything if you just look." Erza said. "And the most important thing is, we care about her whether she was designed or not."

"Of course." Nozomi said, nodding and giving her a look. "Well… more drinks?"

"Just the one." Momo said, smiling.

* * *

The next day Erza woke up, and with a small note of pride noticed that she only had a slight headache. Rangiku was mightily persuasive, especially when it came to frivolous matters, but Erza has remained strong- anxiety was good for something, at least. After a quick breakfast, she made her way out into the Gotei, into the bright, shining, deeply corrupt Gotei, to go on about her duties in service of tyranny. Her thoughts might have continued as such till they spiraled out of control, had a familiar presence not distracted her.

"Erza!" The voice, jolly, firm, a bit childish, was unmistakable- her once captain, Shiba Isshin. "Erza, how ya doin'?"

"Captain!" She said, standing up straight. "I'm- I'm fine."

"Ya looked real lost in thought there. Aizen working ya hard?" He said, grinning the same dumb, disarming grin.

"…something like that." She mumbled.

"Well me, I'm headed out to the world of the living. Great big mission." He leaned in, and gave her a look. "Come to think of it, I could use backup. Mission intel didn't say it'd be too dangerous, but… you can never be too sure, right?"

"I see why you'd say that, yes." Erza said, nodding. Kaien, Isshin's cousin, had died fighting alone, she recalled. "How about your vice captain?"

"Rangiku?" Isshin said, scoffing. "She got drunk as a skunk last night, and I don't think she got outta bed yet. Probably won't till it's noon. Ha, she won't be so pleased when I land her with the paperwork from this mission… and maybe ten or twenty more."

"You are a cruel man, captain." Erza said, smiling.

"I am!" Isshin said, laughing heartily. "You know me, tough love leadership and all that to the bone. But say… you wanna come?"

"I don't know…" Erza said. There was protocol to observe, she'd have to file the request with her captain, and you couldn't just run off like this, so suddenly…

"Are you sure?"

Something sparked in Erza. Running headless into the thick of it without regard for the consequences, when had she forgot how to do that? No, being away would be fantastic- away from the doubts, and away from… Aizen. She frowned, and said, with a steely look on her face,  
"No, I'm not."

"Does that mean you're coming or not?" Isshin said.

"I'm coming." She said determinedly. "In fact, let's go at once."

"Damn, you're really aching for some action, huh?" Isshin said, grinning. "Don't tell me Aizen's hard work means pencil-pushing."

"Oh, you know how it is, captain," Erza said evasively, "you can't lift a sword without having to write a twenty-page essay on it."

"Ha! Ain't that the truth? C'mon, let's get out of here before the pencil-pushers find us. I bet you we'd have to fill a form just to leave through the portal."

Erza nodded, and together they walked their way toward the mission zone. She kept looking around her, expecting to see Aizen, or Gin, tearing her away from this. Just weeks ago, she had thought of them both as allies. Now… she wasn't sure what to think.

* * *

Karakura town looked the same as before, for the most part. The human world did change a lot, of course- a shinigami's world was static, bound by tradition and the view on life that one gets with a centuries-long lifespan. But though there were more cars, more people, more houses, it looked mostly the same.  
Erza and Isshin landed softly on the ground, having descended from up high- the portals never seemed to bother with opening ground level.

"It's here?" Erza said. "People could get caught up."

"We'll find somewhere secluded- well, as much as we can, I'll flare up, and make it come to me."

"I'm good at letting loose." Erza said worriedly. "But fighting like this… what if somebody winds up hurt? Because of me?"

"Trust me, the what-ifs are much worse if we don't get this thing soon." Isshin said firmly. "Say 'what if' we don't catch this thing today. Could mean dozens dead, or worse. 'What if' it got away? Hundreds more dead in the long run. I hate to say it, but even if we run the risk of humans getting caught in the crossfire… the alternative is much worse. Got that?"

Feeling a little uncertain, Erza just nodded. Right was right, and wrong was wrong… but sometimes, there was just the better of two options. She knew at least that much now.  
Together, they sped into the city, searching for someplace deserted. It took some time, but at last they found a building that, according to the sign next to it, was condemned and scheduled for destruction. Perfect. Or rather, as close to perfect as it got. Still worried, Erza followed Isshin to the rooftop.

"What's the plan now, captain?" She said, looking around her. "I do hope you have a plan." She should be more respectful, she knew, but Isshin- despite having what it took to be a captain- was, well… a goof.

"Of course I have a plan!" Isshin huffed. "It's a brilliant, intelligent plan, which I spent all of last night planning!"

"That being, sir?"

"I'm going to stand here, and flare my reiatsu until the hollow shows up. Drawn like a moth to the flame, I'll strike him down immediately!"

Mentally, Erza put her palm to her face. Yep, she had been right to doubt, after all…  
"That's it?" She said skeptically.

"Hey, don't knock the plan!" Isshin said spiritedly. "Hollows love reiatsu, so that's what I'll give it. No need to make it complicated- keep it simple when you can, that's a good rule. Occam's zanpakutou, I think they call it."

"And if it doesn't show?" Erza said.

"Then I'll look very silly. But I do that all the time, so I don't mind." Isshin said cheerily, and let his reiatsu rise and flare, rapidly growing to as high of an output as he could under the limit seal they both wore, holding them down to twenty percent. Some time passed- a minute, two minutes, five minutes… they were approaching ten minutes, and Erza was starting to wonder if her captain would faint from reiatsu drainage before anything remotely wicked would come their way.  
But then it happened. It came fast, so fast- a massive, malevolent source of reiatsu, climbing up the side of the building. Out of nowhere! It had to have hid its reiatsu, Erza thought- dear lord, it was… huge. She couldn't see it yet, but the presence felt nearly overwhelming- not quite like Halibel's, but most certainly up there.  
Seconds later, a bony, clawed hand grabbed hold of the roof's edge, and the hollow heaved itself up in one swift motion. It wasn't very large- in fact, she saw it was not much taller than herself, as it landed on the roof. It had a long, narrow mask, with two red lines running down vertically from its forehead and over its eyes, and two bull-like horns protruding from its forehead. It had hands almost like a human's, except it was bony and clawed, and a tail protruded from its rear. It was so small for a hollow, humanoid- was it a Vasto Lorde, like Halibel? No… she had spent enough time around them to know the feeling- it was always subtle, overwhelming, like a dam that could burst at any moment but chose not to. They were the pinnacle of hollow evolution. This… was not. Its power was raw, radiating in big, uncontrolled bursts just like her captain's, and it glared at them with yellow, hungry eyes, glowing at them with sheer malice. It was powerful, all right, but it had none of the restraint, none of the control… it was different. She didn't like this.

"Well, you are damn ugly." Isshin said cheerfully, his sword out and held at the ready. "Let's do this, then. Scarlet, get my back."

Erza didn't have the time to so much as nod before the hollow sped forward, at an unnatural, vicious speed comparable even to a high level shunpo. Isshin, though, was not a captain for nothing- instantly, he had caught the hollow's first swipe, and undeterred by its furious charge, he pushed back. The monster slashes at him with its free arm, but Isshin put a foot in its chest, kicking it back. The hollow skid back, sliding across the rooftop, leaving deep claw marks in its floor.

"Strong, aye." Isshin said. "Scarlet, did you fall asleep?"

"N-no, sir!" Erza exclaimed, holding up her sword.

"Good, 'cause this will be a hard one." Isshin said, nodding. "Burn, Engetsu!" He cried, and his zanpakutou glowed. There was no noticeable change on the outside- but his reiatsu changed, so much better focused now. He was serious- and she should be too.

"Strike, Tetsu no Tama!" Erza snapped, and she felt the spirit heed her command- a little reluctantly, but still. Her blade changed into the axe, Breaker, and she stood ready. Not a moment too soon; the hollow immediately charged at Isshin, furiously clawing at him, lashing out with a combo of sharp claws, kicks, and even a tail lash. Isshin neatly parried each strike, but he was on the defense- he met each strike so far, but seemed to have no window to hit back. The monster moved in a blur, with precision and fury unlike any she had ever seen from a hollow before- well, not counting her friends in Hueco Mundo…  
Erza did not stand idle. Grasping Breaker with both hands, she strode forward, and swung in a wide arc, cutting into the beast. It wasn't meant to hurt it much- just get its attention. The beast caught her swing with one arm, and though it had no face, she could swear it looked surprised- surprised that her swing had cut it, chipped its bony armour, cracked its skin. It growled, and Erza stepped back. Isshin seized the opportunity, and slammed the pommel of his blade in the hollow's mask. It staggered back for just a second, and Isshin raised his blade.

"GETSUGA TENSHOU!" He roared, bringing his sword down hard from upon high. Erza could feel it, every little particle aligning, charging up, dispersing… in the shape of a crescent moon, the blast hit the hollow square in the chest, sending it flying off the rooftop.

"Think- think that did it?" Erza asked, as they watched it sail through the air.

"Not a chance." Isshin said, shaking his head. True enough, the hollow recovered, willing itself to stop its descent, and leaping through the air right back at them.  
"Ready!" Isshin snapped. "Don't underestimate it-"

He had no time to finish his sentence; the beast was already upon him, pushing him hard. He was still holding, still avoiding injury, but he was on the defensive now- it would only be a matter of time…  
Erza cut in again, quickly moving at the hollow, her axe out and ready. She move in to swing- but that instant, the hollow caught Isshin in the chest with a kick, sending him back. Immediately, it grabbed Erza by the arm. For a second, she saw it up close- its evilly grinning non-face, its cold and rank breath, its glowing yellow eyes… and then she saw it. In its free hand, a red ball of energy. She knew what it was. She had seen menos use it, she had seen Halibel demonstrate it…

"Cero!" She hissed, desperately trying to break herself free. "Oh sh-"

Then the red ball turned into a bright, red beam, hitting her point blank, and Erza was sent flying. Barely conscious, she was aware of pain- distant, but present, all over her body like fire. She saw the building grow smaller and smaller, and then, she hit the ground. Things went dark.

She awoke with a start, sitting right up. She immediately regretted it, snapping awake with a jolt of pain. She felt asphalt under her palms, and she ached- she felt burns on her skin, and in general she had the sensation that somewhere down the line, a speeding train had run her over.  
The hollow! Yes, the hollow! Ignoring the pain, Erza stood up. Her sword! Where- where was Tetsu no Tama? Almost panicking, she looked around. There, on the ground, not far from her, it lay, looking quite whole. Quickly, she stepped over there, her steps wobbling a bit. With an almost desperate eagerness, she put her hand around its hilt. Relief flooded through her as she felt its spirit respond, its mind connecting with hers. The scabbard was gone, but that was unimportant.  
Where _was_ she exactly? She looked around- she hadn't noticed until now, but it was an alley. Dirty, with garbage bags lying around it… how did she end up here?

Oh yes. Cero.

The fight! Erza's mind snapped awake, properly awake, and she sensed for her captain's reiatsu. She had no idea for how long she had been gone- was it minutes? Was it hours? Desperately, she tried to feel for his presence- the worst of thoughts raced through her head, fantasies of her captain dead and broken, a feast for monsters, that she had been beaten so easily and failed him and no please no-  
But then she felt him, not far off. She sped out of the alley, and felt a little silly- the building they had been on was only a block away, and it only took a few well placed jumps to get back. The fight was still going strong, she felt it now- Isshin's reiatsu blazing strong; the dark and vicious reiatsu of the hollow- was it a bit weaker now, or was it her imagination?- and… something else.

She got back up on the rooftop again, one last jump propelling her through the air. What she saw was… unexpected. Isshin, she saw, was in a bad way- he was bleeding heavily, and although she couldn't see how bad it was through his torn shihakusho, it was obvious he was badly injured. The hollow looked in no better shape, bleeding from multiple wounds all across its body. But what was truly strange was the third arrival- a young woman, human judging by her reiatsu, was peppering the monster with brightly shining arrows. She was young enough to be a school girl, Erza was sure of it- and she was winning. A quincy, here? They were… not dead, not all of them?  
The young woman drew her bow again, a bolt of blue energy flying from it in an instant, spearing the monster through the chest. It roared, attempting to leap at her- but before it had even taken its second step, another bolt hit it square in the chest, and another, and another. The monster roared, screamed, looking furious that its assailant stood so far away, beyond its reach- but his screams were in vain. With cold precision, a look of true focus on her face, the Quincy wore down the hollow with one bolt after another, methodically hammering it to the ground. Within seconds, well over a dozen bolts had pierced its chest, glowing a light blue before dissipating. The beast writhed, rolling on the floor-top in its death throes, mortally wounded.  
The Quincy girl walked forward, from near the edge of the roof, and stopped just a few yards from where the monster lay. Looking fully on her guard, she strung her bow again, took aim, and struck it square between the eyes with a charged spirit bolt. Its mask cracked, the hollow screamed, and it dissolved. But it was different, so different- any normal hollow would simple disintegrate, its particles shattering to the winds, but this hollow… it was as if it had become smoke, a lingering mist. The Quincy girl jumped back, out of its way, and the mist finally dispersed, like a clearing fog… and Erza could feel its presence no more.

Quickly, Erza hurried over to Isshin. He had looked bad before, and he looked worse now- she could see several gashes on his chest where is shihakusho had been ripped, a nasty cut in his thigh, but… worse still, his skin looked grey, and his eyes looked blank.

"Captain!" She cried, kneeling by his side. "Captain, are you all right?"

"G-got- got sum good hits in-" Isshin said, his voice a weak, hissing parody of his normally strong, deep tone. "S-stronger 'n I thought- Scarlet, I, I- cn't breathe-" He seemed out of it, struggling for breath. Desperately, Erza tried to see what was wrong. He was wounded, all right, but shinigami were made of stern stuff, and a captain could survive much worse than this. No, this looked like something foul had come over him- his reiatsu was in flux, utter chaos as if he was tearing himself apart from the inside. She had learned much about reiatsu since her school days, but nothing about this made any sense to her.

"Quincy!" Erza cried, looking at the girl. "Please, we need help! I beg you!"

The quincies surely hated them all, if there were survivors- they had been hunted to extermination by her kind, by the shinigami. She had probably only shown up to destroy this one hollow, an accidental ally… but she had to try, because she had a feeling if she didn't, she would watch another friend die. She would beg as much as necessary; no price was too big to save him-  
But she wouldn't respond. Why would she? Their two races were enemies.

But to Erza's surprise, the quincy carefully walked toward her, looking on her guard still. She went down on one knee next to Isshin, and put a hand on his chest.

"Thank you!" Erza burst out. "Oh, thank you-"

"Shush." The Quincy said, her tone sharp- although less sharp than Erza would have expected. "I am trying to focus. "

Erza opened her mouth, then thought better of it, and nodded. She leaned back, letting the quincy do her work. All she could do was hold his hand, not knowing if it did any good or not.  
For a few minutes, the quincy seemed not to do much of anything. She touched various parts of his body; his chest, his forehead, his stomach, his legs. It seemed like nothing, but Erza knew it was not so simple- she was examining him, reading his reiatsu to an extent she herself could not. The quincies, she recalled, were masters of spiritual manipulation- they had to be, lacking the natural affinity for it that any shinigami would have.

Eventually, the quincy stood up, looking unsure.

"Well?" Erza said anxiously.

"His core is beginning to destabilize. You do know what a core is, yes?"

"Sure, sure," Erza said, nodding. She remembered that much- an abstract concept used to refer to the center of reiatsu flow, from which all other particles emanated.

"Then you know what happens if he is not treated. He will destabilize entirely, and dissolve just like a hollow." The quincy said. "Probably within an hour, I think."

Erza panicked. Could she get him back in that time? She would have to call for a portal, call for emergency medical aid, and even then it'd need experts… what were she to do?

"I'm sorry." The quincy said, sounding sincere. "I think he will die soon."

"Please, you have to help!" Erza hissed, desperately grabbing the girl by her arms. "You- you have to- there has to be _something_ you can do!"

"I can't!" The quincy protested. "It's well beyond my ability- I'm not even grown up yet! I can't help!"

Erza felt, like so many times before, like an abyss was opening under her feet. No, not again… not again!

"…I know somebody who could." The quincy said, and Erza felt like she could kiss her.

"Who?!" She exclaimed eagerly. "Who? Where?"

"…I'll take you to him." Said the quincy. "Can you carry him?"

"Not a problem." Erza said, gently picking Isshin up, holding him in her arms. He felt limp, and so much colder than he should be.

"This way." The quincy said, and leapt off the rooftop. Erza swallowed, hesitated- how fast could she go, with Isshin like this?- but jumped after her, speeding off in a shunpo, hoping dearly it would not be too late.

After what felt like an eternity, but was probably less than ten minutes, the quincy slowed down. They had got to what looked like an alley of sorts, looking mostly deserted. There was what looked like a candy store- or a store of some kind, at least. Oddly, Erza noted, there seemed to be no customers anywhere, despite it being in the middle of the day.

"I'll go get him." The quincy said. "Just wait here. He's shady, but… I don't think he's a bad person. It's not like you have any options, anyhow."

"…sure." Erza said, nervously cradling Isshin's lifeless form. Why? Why did things always have to go to hell like this? Why was _being dead_ so much harder than being alive?

Another few minutes passed, and the quincy came out again, followed by a large, burly man with glasses, two children, and a man with blond hair, simple Japanese clogs, and a green-and-white striped hat obscuring his eyes. He carried a cane, and looked rather lackadaisical.

"Ah, we do have guests indeed!" Said the hat, smiling a friendly grin. "Two shinigami, I see. Important ones, even- good day to you, miss vice-captain of division five, and captain of division ten!" He waved cheerily. "Get him inside." He said, nodding to his muscular associate. The man promptly walked up to Erza, and took Isshin from her, carrying him inside. Erza was not sure if she should protest, but was in no state to do anything about it- she still ached from the blast she had taken, she was emotionally and mentally exhausted- and, she noticed now that she had got the captain to safety, physically exhausted too.

"Well, come on inside, come on inside!" The hat said, bowing sardonically, and gesturing at the door. "It may be but a humble store, for a humble store owner, but it will accommodate an injured reaper nonetheless."

Hesitantly, Erza walked inside.

"Can- can you fix him?" She mumbled. "That girl, the quincy, she said… she said he'd die within the hour."

"My associate is an expert, I assure you," the hat said, walking inside behind her. "Under his tender mercies, your man will be up and about in no time. I should warn you, though- my services do not come for free."

"Sure." Erza mumbled. "He's noble and all, so I think he's got the money."

"Who said anything about money?" The hat said, with a strange tone. "By all means, come sit down." He showed her to a room, with comfortable sitting mats, and Erza gratefully sat down, resting her back against the wall.

"But- where _are my manners?" Said the man, and took a seat opposite of her. "I am Urahara Kisuke, humble store owner, procurer of rare items, and trader of secrets."_

"Wait…" Erza mumbled, something clicking inside her head. "Urahara… I know that name. You… you're… traitor!" She exclaimed, reaching for her sword.

"Looking for this?" Urahara said, with a smug grin, holding Tetsu no Tama in his hand. "I relieved it from your belt when you walked in. Amazing that it didn't rip through your sash as you ran, really."

"Give it back!" Erza snapped, leaning forward, attempting to get up, but Urahara pushed her in the chest with the end of his cane, putting her back.

"In time." He said. "We'll have a little talk first. Then, we'll see."

"I'll demolish you." Erza growled. "You think I won't? You think being a little beat up will stop me from wrecking your store and your face?"

"Will you now?" Urahara said, sounding amused. "Yes, you are very determined. I was wondering, though, what not one but two of Aizen's puppets were doing in my town at once."

"…what?" Erza said, sounding genuinely surprised. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're as bad a liar as my intel had me believe." Urahara said bemusedly. "I am a trader of secrets. Simple secrets, like what the first division's vice captain likes for breakfast, or the secret stash of erotic novels that the second division's captain collects, or what made the captain of eleventh the brute he is. Then there are the _secret_ secrets… like Aizen Sousuke, and his little scheme to replace a cruel, callous tyranny with a cruel, callous, slightly more efficient tyranny."

"I'm not!" Erza insisted.

"Please, let's not keep insulting the both of our intelligences like this," Urahara said casually. "I know quite a few things, Erza Scarlet. Aizen Sousuke, secret revolutionary. Uses illusory abilities. Cold, scheming, ruthless, highly intelligent- but not as intelligent as he thinks he is. Long term plan to overthrow the order of the Gotei Thirteen, to create his own personal new world order. Allied to Ichimaru Gin, psychopathic sadist murderer, as well as several key figures in Hueco Mundo."

Erza gaped. How could he possibly know all this?

"And allied also, of course, to you." He continued. "Only, all my sources paint you as a good and moral figure. Somebody who believes strongly in right and wrong. A terrible liar, too. That considered… he must have made you believe. Believe in his vision, while conveniently editing out the parts that would not appeal to you. Like the way he framed me for the hollowification experiments, or how he commands his hollow friends as tools, goodly or not."

"How- how the hell do you know?" Erza said. "And he's not!"

"Pay attention, Erza Scarlet." He said dismissively. "I know many things about those who may one day be my enemy. I know every captain, every vice captain, every ranked officer of consequence- which aren't that many, to be honest. You, I know intimately. Forced into service, graduated with decent grades. Suffered tragic accident soon after your graduation, resulting in the death of all but one of your classmates. Went on to join division eleven, then ten, then five, which is where I assume Aizen sunk his claws into you. Stellar reputation as a fighter, but known for a general lack of diplomacy or subtlety. Supremely competent in some areas, incompetent in others. And judging by your reiatsu… I'd say you've spent a lot of time with Aizen's pets. Does the company of hollows appeal to you, Erza Scarlet?"  
He smiled, a smug, inscrutable smile, and Erza felt herself boiling over.

"Her name is Halibel. She is a _person."_

Urahara nodded. "As good a start as any."

Erza took a few breaths. How… how the hell could somebody know this much? About their plans, all along, from the outside? Why did he hate Aizen so? He was a traitor- a very clever traitor. She couldn't trust a word he said- but for now, she and Isshin were in his hands. This could turn ugly…

"…not that I believe you at all," Erza said, "because you are a traitor and a mad, amoral scientist, but…"

He chuckled. "To be called a traitor by a traitor, Erza… now that's amusing. But, go ahead."

"You said two puppets." Erza said, scowling. "You don't mean captain Shiba and I."

"No, of course not." He said, seeming as infuriatingly amused as ever. "I meant the hollow. It has Aizen's signature all over it. An enhanced hollow with special abilities, very much experimental, but clearly designed for a specific purpose? That is him, all right. Nobody besides him has ever successfully attempted hollow experimentation."

"Except you."

"I could, if I wanted to." Urahara said dismissively. "There certainly is much to learn. But sadly, I haven't got the budget. Do you know how much a functional lab for that kind of research would cost? Millions, maybe billions, a full research team, one's conscience…"

"Conscience!" Erza sneered. "You hold us in debt for keeping a man alive, and you speak of conscience?"

"I am a businessman, not a doctor." He said, shrugging. "And even doctors get paid. But to the matter at hand- that little pawn of his did not really die."

"I saw it destroyed." Erza said flatly. "How could it not?"

Urahara smiled. "Now there's the crux. Its essence lingered- and attached itself to the only possible host body around. I wager it was supposed to possess a human, because it seems a poor fit for a shinigami."

"Why? What would the point be?"

"To poke things with a stick and see what they do is the basis of any science anywhere." Urahara said.

"But…" Erza said, frowning, "why would you tell me all of this, if you know I am on Aizen's side?"

"An even better question." Urahara said. "I was starting to think your intelligence had been overstated." Erza harrumphed, but the blond man ignored it. "Yes, why would I tell you? This is a good day for me, you see- because one way or the other, Aizen loses two of his pawns. All that remains to see is if I have to kill you, or if you leave him voluntarily."

"How will you know if I really mean it?" Erza said, glancing at her zanpakutou, still in his hands.

"Because you are a terrible liar." Urahara said. "I can see you ogling your weapon, for one. Trust me- even if you were healed and rested, I've no doubt that you would die if I wanted it so. You are a skilled fighter, but you have the subtlety of a hammer- you are terribly predictable. I have a plan for taking on any officer of strength- that includes you."

Erza grit her teeth, and glared at him.

"What will you do to Isshin?"

Urahara scoffed. "Heal him, of course. Then charge his family an outrageous amount of money, and make sure he knows he owes me one. I'm a _businessman_, not a villain."

"Very well then. Do what you must." Erza said, keeping herself calm.

Urahara rolled his eyes. "Good lord, you're dramatic. I haven't decided to kill you _yet,_ dummy. No, I'd like you to make your own mind up."

He reached into his coat, and pulled out a file.

"Here." He said, holding it over to her. Erza frowned. Urahara sighed, and held up Tetsu no Tama to her, hilt first.

"A token of good will, miss vice captain." He said. "Now please, accept this file."

Eagerly, Erza snapped her sword from his grasp, and glared at him. Hesitantly, not sure why, she then took the file from his hand, too.

"What's this?" She asked. "Pictures of _my captain_ kicking puppies, or what?"

"Good one." Urahara said, chuckling. "No, it's better than that. It's research notes. Specifically, of hollowification experiments. Look at it, and tell me you do not recognize the handwriting."

Still holding the hilt of Tetsu no Tama firmly, Erza flipped through the file and its contents. She saw loose bits of information, data and pictures of hollows. She could recognize her captain's writing there, too.  
She frowned, and shot the shopkeeper a glare- she was not born yesterday, and she was not about to take the word of a stranger and a traitor over Aizen's.  
But despite herself, she slid the file into her kimono. There had been… trouble lately. She still believed in his vision. He probably had a good reason for concealing those prints from her. She was just on edge because of the way they had to hide… he wasn't wrong. Of course he wasn't.

But it never hurt to be sure.

Deep inside her mind, Erza could hear Tetsu no Tama chuckle smugly.

"There you go." Urahara said. "Review this at your leisure. Let the evidence speak for itself."

Erza just glared at him.

"Well then!" Urahara said, standing up. "Please, enjoy your stay at my humble shop. We'll have a look at you once we're done with captain Shiba."

* * *

The healing process, she was assured, went smoothly- but it took time. She had looked in on Isshin whenever she was allowed to, and the greyness in his skin had gone; he was back to a healthy shade of pink. He was still, though, unconscious. The burly man- Tessai, he had introduced himself as- had explained that while his reiatsu was contained, he needed several focal points rebuilt entirely, and at that point the conversation had become full of technical terms that made Erza wish Momo was there. The short of it seemed to be that he needed careful treatment for a longer time, or he would only have borrowed time, not a recovery.  
Fully six days passed, and Erza fought the urge to run back to the soul society. She really should- they had been expected out that same day, and teams would have been sent out in search of them. They would be considered missing in action, perhaps even dead. She should set the record straight. It was duty. But try as she might, she couldn't tear himself from his side- the Shiba needed him. He had family. She couldn't leave him, not even for a few hours. And on a more practical note… even disregarding her emotions, she had no reason to trust a man like Urahara Kisuke. She didn't remember much about him- he had been captain of division twelve once, a brilliant scientist, then it had been revealed that he had been experimenting on applying hollow powers to shinigami, a concept as dangerous as it was blasphemous. Four captains and four vice captains had fallen victim to it, and yet another captain had turned coat to save Urahara from the fate he deserved. All in all, six captains had been lost in a single stroke. It was remembered as one of the darkest incidents in recent history.  
And for all this time, he had been here in Karakura, waiting, gathering information…

Why would anyone trust somebody like that?

_Because you don't know who to trust._ Tetsu no Tama said, butting into her train of thought.

"Quiet." She murmured.

She had reviewed the file. It was full of science she could not understand, complex equations and sentences that might as well have been gibberish, but some of it was undeniable. Experiments on hollows. Experiments on humans. Experiments on the creation of arrancar. Special hollows, with evil abilities.  
One name had stood out. _Metastacia._ A hollow with the ability to dissolve a zanpakutou at a mere touch with its tentacles. A vile monster… just like the one that had killed Shiba Kaien. There was even a reference to its success- _Field test completed, easily able to destroy zanpakutou of vice-captain level shinigami. Subject severely damaged, possibly dead? Will find out. If dead, can still reproduce results_

Every last word was in his handwriting. Notes, written with the callousness of a scientist, one that had let go of any sense of ethics, any sense of right and wrong.

There were notes on Halibel. On Neliel, on Ulquiorra, on names she did not know very well- Barragan, Starrk, Nnoitora- and how to apply them as weapons. In gruesome detail, it was described how powerful they might become, what powers they might have… she could not bring herself to read it in detail.  
If this was a forgery, it was the best damn forgery she had ever seen.

Finally, one week after his battle, Isshin had recovered, although not quite in the way she had expected. She walked up to his sick bed- next to which the muscular Tessai still sat- and sat down. She looked at him. He was… different.

"Erza?" Isshin said, sitting up. "Bet I really made you worry, huh?"

"What happened to you?" Erza mumbled. It was all wrong- she could barely sense any reiatsu from him, like it had all been sealed away. His body was… similar, but not the same.

"About that…" Isshin mumbled. "I'm uh, a bit of a cripple now." He sounded beaten, a far cry from his usual carefree, energetic self.

"The damage to his central reiatsu system was severe." Tessai rumbled. "We stabilized him, through much arduous work. However, the majority of his reiatsu was burnt out in the process. At the moment, he possesses no more spiritual energy than the typical plus soul post mortem."

"Oh…" Erza said, a sinking feeling in her gut.

"That's not all." Isshin murmured.

"Correct!" Tessai said, nodding slowly. "In the end, his spiritual matrix was still too unstable to be relied upon. To save his existence, we bound his being to a _gigai_."

"It's not all gone," Urahara said, and Erza wondered just when he had stood himself in the door opening. He looked as carefree as usual, as obnoxious as usual. "It's possible that one day, his powers may recover. He still has all the disciplines and structure of a shinigami. However, as it stands… he'll be like this for years. Possibly forever. Fascinating, what that hollow did to his system."

"You!" Erza snarled. "You said you could fix him! You lying-"

"Take it easy now," Urahara said, raising his voice just a little. "We really did do all we could. Do you think I want him not to recover? This man represented a significant meal ticket to me. A nobleman in my pocket, and a payoff on top of that? But no…" He sighed. "It's all for naught."

"What do you mean?" Erza said, frowning. "Captain," she said, turning to Isshin, "we'll get you back to the soul society. We'll have the best of the best look at you, they'll _fix_ you, not like this hack-"

"Erza, it's fine," Isshin said quietly, gesturing for her to calm down with his hand. "I mean… I don't feel peachy about this, but there's not a whole lot I can do. I know this guy- he's real smart, even though he got sent off for treason. Without my powers… let's be honest, the Gotei won't give a shit about me." He shrugged. "If I go back, what am I? A disgrace. A liability. A cripple who lost everything. An idiot who couldn't even die when he was supposed to." He looked her in the eyes, looking weary.  
"I've always been an idiot. I don't mind it, because when people see an idiot, they let their guard down. I was a strong idiot, one at least fit to lead people. But without that… what am I?" He shook his head.

"You have people waiting for you!" Erza said. "You have family, a clan, a whole squad that depends on you!"

"Tell them I'm dead." Isshin said flatly.

"What?" Erza said.

"Tell them I'm dead. Do me that favour, Erza. Shiba Isshin died fighting a powerful hollow. He gave his life fighting for what was right, standing tall like a man. Please… let that be how they remember me. Not… this." He said, gesturing at his body, his artificially built, ever so frail body."

"This _is_ a state of the art model, I'll have you know," Urahara said, "and it can be updated at your leisure, too."

Erza ignored him. "You can't do this!" She snapped. "What about the people at home? Don't you care about them?"

"I do." Isshin said, shrugging. "But… that's why I want it to be this way. I'm staying here. I can't make you say I'm dead, but you can't make me come with you."

"You idiot!" Erza all but screamed.

"Mr. Shiba has struck a deal." Tessai rumbled. "He has pledged servitude to this shop for a time, in exchange for his treatment, food and lodging, and the learning of a trade. He will not leave, young miss."

Erza made a fist.

"Really, don't try it," Urahara said calmly. "You're strong, but you won't like where this goes."

"You expect me to lie to your family?" Erza hissed through her teeth.

"You lied to us all along." Isshin said calmly. "And I don't judge you for it. There's a lot that needs changing."

"You told him." Erza growled, looking at Urahara.

"He did." Isshin said. "And that's why I ask. You keep secrets for Aizen- and whatever business you have with him, that's between the two of you. But for my sake, for me, the man who was once your captain- tell them I'm gone. Let them remember a strong man, not a cripple."

Erza shook her head. "You really are an idiot, you know that?"

Isshin smiled slightly. "Always have been. And hey, it's not all bad- I think that cute quincy who brought us here likes me."

Erza stood up. "Fine." She said. "Fine. I'll tell them you're dead. But don't ask me anything again, Shiba Isshin."

"…all right." He said. "Good luck in life, Erza. Make the world a better place, eh?"

"…something like that." Erza murmured, and turned her back. "Bye." She said. It was all she could manage. A grand farewell might have been more appropriate, but she could think of nothing good enough. She walked out, full of inner turmoil. How could he ask her to lie? How… could she not, when she had been a liar for so long? How could she have been a hypocrite for this long? Where had she gone wrong?  
Full of indecision and anger, Erza sped off.

Urahara Kisuke watched her leave, his burly associate Tessai standing next to him.

"Tell me, Mr. Urahara," Tessai said, looking as inscrutable as ever, "how much of the evidence you gave her was a forged?"

"Most of it." Urahara said casually. "Imitating handwriting is not that difficult- the only problem was time. I like being prepared, especially for Aizen's pawns. If she had known her science, she would know that most of it was nonsense."

"A lie to guide her to the truth." Tessai said, and nodded. "Is that not ironic?"

"I suppose." Urahara said. She had opened a portal now, a ways away, and was leaving the city.

"When you told her you might kill her… was that true?"

"In theory, yes," Urahara said with a smirk, "but I was sure the moment I mentioned Aizen that she already had her doubts. All she needed was a push- one that I was all too happy to provide."

"It will not impede his plans." Tessai noted.

"Even so, spiting him is its own excuse." Urahara said with a grin. "Come on- let's help our new resident settle in."

* * *

He was waiting for her when she got through the gate. Aizen Sousuke, her captain, looking calm and content with a small smile on his face, the same captainly mask he always wore. Erza flinched, visibly so- did he know? Could he know? Of course he could- he seemed to know everything. And she was a bad liar.

"You were gone a week." He said. "We feared the worst."

"Did you now?" Erza said, completely on edge.

"Well, I did make some investigations of my own. Imagine my surprise, when I found your reiatsu in Karakura town, quite alive. What happened?"

She couldn't lie. Not convincingly. But Isshin nearly _had_ died, and she knew a thing or two about losing friends the hard way. She remembered, remembered Marisa and Remon and Sensuke, the bottomless pit it had put her in…  
"It was captain Shiba." She said, her voice trembling. "I… was watching over him. I don't know what happened- there was something weird about that hollow we fought…"  
_That's the way. Don't actually lie, but don't tell the truth either._

"He's dead." She mumbled. "Shiba Isshin's dead." She took a deep, sharp breath, remembering the way they had looked, her friends, when they had been torn to pieces before her eyes…  
"Something happened to him. A quincy helped us out, we won the fight, but he got… poisoned or something. All his energy drained. I couldn't go back, and I couldn't move him either."

"It took a week?" Aizen said, raising an eyebrow. Erza held her breath. She couldn't convince him, please don't keep prodding, please don't keep prodding…  
"I'm so sorry." Aizen said gently. "I know you knew he is part of the system we stand against- but nevertheless he was a good man, and your captain once. I understand."

"Thank you." Erza croaked, managing a nod. "It's… it was hard."

"Of course." Aizen said, nodding. "Please, take the day off. You need to rest."

"I've got to go report." Erza said, sniffing slightly. The tears which were almost spilling over were, at least, not a lie.

* * *

"…and that is your final word, Erza Scarlet?"  
Old man Yamamoto's gaze was unforgiving, as steely as ever, and Erza felt like she might be struck down then and there for her deceit.

"Yes, head captain." She said, keeping her voice firm. "I was recruited to back up captain Shiba. We were assaulted by a hollow of unknown power, which killed him and incinerated his body. I was unable to defeat it, but I managed to escape."

"Grave news…" The old man murmured. "Very well. You may go. Submit a report to myself, and the second division, within a day. Dismissed."

"Yes, head captain." Erza said. She bowed, and began to walk out.

She was amazed that she had kept her composure. She didn't know how- she felt like up was down, like straight was crooked…

Aizen was an ally of hollows. Not of just people like Erza, but Barragan, the self-styled king of hollows. She had remembered his name at last, and he was a monster. Just how much could you say that you would use evil for the sake of good? How many Ichimaru Gins could you put in your service and still claim to be working for the good of the people?  
He had made Metastacia. He had made gods knew how many others. He had stolen those notes. Again and again, she had tried to tell herself it was all a lie, that all this time had not been her duped, serving an evil man for an evil purpose- but she had run out of faith. Aizen had seemed a thoroughly decent man, but…  
He was not.

The realization hurt her almost as bad as the death of a friend.

* * *

That night, not long after she had closed her eyes, she found herself in the marble palace again. Its pillars were being restored, and the floor was whole again. On the golden throne, as usual, sat Tetsu no Tama, looking down on her.

"Tell me, my fool master," He said, sounding more condescending than usual, "did your eyes finally open?" Casually, he sipped wine from a jewel-encrusted golden cup, and somehow Erza knew he was trying to goad her, to rub it in- whichever thing he was going to rub; there always were plenty.

"Aizen is not who he says he is." Erza said begrudgingly.

"Ha!" The spirit sneered. "I never trusted him- he is a conqueror, Erza, an ambitious man who wishes to be king of everything he can stake a claim to. Always too smooth, always saying just the right things to make you believe… but I am not like you, Erza. I am not weighed down by lofty ideals. I saw in him, the moment he bade you join him, what his true intentions were. Had you kept going down this path, I would have denied you my power."

"Fine." Erza said, gritting her teeth. "You were right. I was wrong. I was made a fool of. Are you happy now, my fool sword?"

Tetsu no Tama stood up, and put the cup down. Slowly, he marched down from his throne, until he stood face to face with Erza. Gently, he put an arm on her shoulder.

"Yes, I am happy now." He said softly. "You have freed yourself from the grasp of a tyrant through your own power. It is all I ever wanted to see."

"All that boastful talk and belligerence, and now you change your tune?" Erza said, feeling a little angry, and a little relieved.

"It angered me, being made somebody's thrall, however indirectly." Tetsu no Tama said. "It angered me, and for that, I became angry with you. But… now that you no longer dance to his tune, I am glad."  
There was a strange, rare look on his face, Erza noted- a subdued look of joy, and… pride, like a parent whose child took her first steps?  
"It was not your fault, Erza," He said, and Erza's jaw dropped a little.

"Say what?" She said flatly.

"He saw your virtue and kindness, and used it for his own gains." The spirit said, distaste in his voice. "You were the victim of a predator, Erza, one far beyond your ability to anticipate. You befriended a viper, one that made itself look like a lamb. He used you, like a tool, tried to warp you into his own image, to his own ends. He wanted a slave, and tried to make you one. But even then… you would not submit. You stayed true to yourself when it mattered most. However inadvertently, he gave you a trial by fire. You did well, Erza."

Erza blinked. She was being… praised. By her judgmental, moody, arrogant zanpakutou, who never seemed pleased with anything. Well, she wouldn't complain.

"…thanks." She said, after a good, long pause.

"You know what you must do next." He replied.

"Yes." Erza said firmly, nodding. "I will tell him it's over. I will not follow him anymore."

"And if this brings your world down?"

"Then so be it." Erza said, steel in her voice. "I'd rather that happen than stay in the employ of a monster."

"My _master_." Tetsu no Tama said, and to her shock, he gave her a courteous bow. He turned around, walked back up to his throne, and the dream began to fade.

Erza sat bolt upright in her bed. This could not wait. It ate at her, like fire inside her chest waiting to burst out. She would go, right now. Quickly, she put on her uniform, and strapped Tetsu no Tama to her belt. It ended tonight. She would tell him off, get it over and done with. What would he say? What would he do? She had no idea. Probably nothing good. But it mattered not. She would not run, she would not hide, she would get this _done_. She could feel her zanpakutou hum with approval, as she marched out of her room, out to the gardens of division five.

His office was not a long walk away. But of course, Aizen was not so conventional as to simply wait in his room. As she crossed the gardens, the moon shining down on them brightly, she felt him- standing further in, near the pond, quite awake. Of course he had expected her. Why wouldn't he?  
Resolutely, she marched forward, and soon she saw him standing there. The glasses were off; he was there as his true self, waiting for her. She walked up to Aizen, standing face to face with him.

Aizen watched her approach. She had lied to him before- she had been clever enough to tell something close enough to the truth that it was convincing, but he already knew what had happened. He had noticed her doubt- she was, in the end, too strictly moral to understand his methods. Of course he had been suspicious of her- suspicious enough to put a bug on her.

"Such a beautiful night." He said, as if there was not a thing wrong in the world. "One really has to appreciate the simple things in life, wouldn't you agree?"

"Forget that." Erza said harshly, unable to keep her voice calm, aggression seeping from her tone.

"Then I assume you have something important to say?" Aizen said. "You sound so serious."

"You made Metastacia." Erza said. "You were behind the vizard incident. You've lied to me all this time."

"I imagine Urahara Kisuke must have seemed very convincing." Aizen said calmly. "After all this time, all I've done for you, you would rather trust a ruthless, amoral gutter feeder convicted of treason? You disappoint me."

He could see the doubt in her, the guilt and pain his words caused. He had indoctrinated her well, well enough that this was difficult for her. She was not beyond helping yet.

"I saw for myself." Erza spat out. "I didn't just listen to him. I knew you had been lying to me long before that!"

"Oh?" Aizen said innocently. This was interesting.

"The blueprints." Erza said. "I saw them, in your office. Kageroza's notes, the ones you said were destroyed. You lied."

Aizen kept his face straight, but suppressed a bit of annoyance. The blueprints. They had lain in his desk drawer for years, hidden under a stack of paper. Nobody ever looked in the captain's desk, because of the reverent respect everyone held for such a position- he should have put an illusion on those, too. It was an oversight.

"Then there's this." Erza said, pulling a file from her shihakusho. She threw it at Aizen, who caught it with one hand quite smoothly. He opened it, and rifled through it.  
It was a poor copy of his own research notes, most of them imagined- except his notes on the vizard process. Just how Urahara had got his hands on these was something he would like to know- that man was nothing if not resourceful, it seemed.

"Lies and slander." He said casually. "I understand you are troubled, Erza- my plan is one that demands much sacrifice. But I had really hoped you would put more trust in me than to let it be upset by such lies. Has your perspective changed? Have you seen the tyranny of the Gotei, and understood it to be liberty? Have you seen its oppression, and decided that slavery is freedom? Have you seen its callous cruelty, and decided that it is justified? Tell me Erza, just where am I wrong?"

He resisted the urge to smile. It was tearing her apart- such a goodly person she was, so sure of right and wrong, and there was no bigger wrong than the tyranny he had shown her- carefully sprinkled with exaggeration where necessary. Any moment now, she would have to give in.  
She was quiet for a minute. Then she shook her head, and said,

"You are not wrong at all, sir."

Just as planned.

"Then-" He began, but she cut him off.

"You are not wrong about the Gotei. It needs to change. It is not a system I can be part of. But! I cannot be part of your system either. If we are willing to do anything, anything at all to win, then that means there is nothing we won't do. I cannot follow your way anymore, Aizen."

Inwardly, he sighed. She was so terribly headstrong.

"Is that how it will be, then?" He said coolly. "You reject my vision still, even knowing what it is I aim to create?"

"I don't know what you truly aim to create." Erza said harshly, crossing her arms. "I cannot trust you anymore. I am through. Enact your plans without me."

"I see." Aizen said. It was irritating, at the least- probably, that was Urahara Kisuke's only intention. Erza certainly was not an irreplaceable pawn. "And what will you do with your knowledge of my operations?"

"I'll keep it to myself, don't you worry. I think maybe I'll run off somewhere I can be the way I want to- or maybe I'll stay, and try and change this place for the better from the inside. I have not decided yet."

"Very well." Aizen said, giving a sigh- out loud, at last. "I will not stop you. I wish you the best of luck for the future, Erza."

"As simple as that?" Erza said skeptically.

"No matter what you may believe of me, I am no monster." Aizen said, giving her a convincing smile. "I will not kill you for turning away. Perhaps when I change this place for the better, you will see that what I did was for the best after all. Until then… well, good night."

"…okay." Erza said. "So… we're… good?"

"Fine and dandy." Aizen said.

Not saying another word, Erza hesitantly turned around, and began to walk away. Aizen stood there for a long while, thinking. He could have sworn he had bent her will…

* * *

The next day, Erza woke up feeling relieved. A bit shocked, but relieved. It was like a band-aid ripped off quick- it hurt, but it was all better once it was done.  
But what was she to do? She had not been all talk last night- this was not a system she could be party to anymore. The Gotei was a tyranny, and… well, could she really change it if she tried? Should she run, or would it be quitting if she ran without trying? Life was confusing, she decided, and the best thing was to give it a good thinker. Once she had calmed down. Which probably could take years.

But as fate had it, she did not have years, or even days. Exactly three hours after breakfast, when she was just about ready to head out on patrol, she was approached by the unmistakable form of captain Soifon, the tiny but frighteningly competent head of division two. She was flanked by a full team of onmitsukidou officers. Erza's heart sank. Oh, no…

"Erza Scarlet, vice-captain of division five." Soifon said sharply. "You are under arrest for treason, conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to undermine the Gotei, subversion and blasphemy."

"No, no, no," Erza said, desperately holding up her hands, as if it would appease the captain, "no, you don't understand, it's not-"

"Get down on the ground!" Soifon barked. "Get down on the ground and put your hands on your head. Failure to obey will result in forceful subjugation."

"But-" Erza said desperately. A captain. Of _course_ Aizen hadn't let it go. She had been stupid to think he would.

"Obey!" Soifon insisted.

"…I can't." Erza said. With a feeling of dread, she reached for her zanpakutou, pulling it out swiftly. Maybe she could knock her over, knock her out, maybe she could distract them long enough to start running-

Before she had even had the time to call out her zanpakutou's name, Soifon was on her. She grabbed Erza's wrist in an iron grip, twisting her sword arm aside, and her other arm moved in a blur. Quicker than Erza could see, Soifon jabbed her fist into her solar plexus twice, slammed it into her throat once, and brought her palm up, slamming it into Erza's nose. Pain and nausea overwhelmed Erza, and she staggered back, only barely holding on to her sword. Not a second passed before a sweeping kick struck her in the head, once, twice, in the blink of an eye. Without quite knowing how it happened, she was thrown into the ground, and her arms were twisted behind her. Still, she struggled, trying to wrestle the little captain off her. Soifon grabbed her by the hair, and slammed Erza's head into the ground. Finally, blissful oblivion took her.

She woke up in a cell, her hands cuffed. The first thing she noticed- after the pain, and the nausea, and the woozy feeling she always got after taking a hit to the head- was her energy. She was locked down, unable to channel any reiatsu. The cuffs around her wrist were sekki-sekki, no doubt, the spiritual ore that blocked out energy completely.  
She looked around. It was dark, the cell windowless- there was some light coming from the cell's opening, through the iron bars. It was a small cell, large enough for a cot and not much more. How long had she been down here? Erza sat herself up, and cringed- Soifon was shorter than even Momo, but she kicked like a mule.

"So you finally woke up."

She recognized the voice. She would recognize it anywhere.

"Aizen!" She sneered, getting herself up on her feet. She nearly fell over as soon as she had stood up, leaning herself against the wall. The world looked blurry, but she could see him there, looking so self-assured.

"It's so interesting." Aizen said. He sounded cold, calm, collected, so completely dispassionate. "I spent a lot of time trying to shape you to be a good lieutenant. You really would have made a worthy choice."

"You are a monster." Erza snarled, forcing herself to stand up properly.

"I will admit I made a few hollows for my purposes, yes," Aizen said casually. "Metastacia was imperfect. White, the one that killed Isshin, was too- but both of them were successes. What you never could see, Erza, is that true change requires sacrifice."

"I think the first thing you sacrificed was any sense of right and good." Erza growled. "You did this for yourself, all along, not for the people of the soul society."

"What I will build _will_ make for a better world." Aizen said firmly. "But it will be completely according to my design, and nobody else's. 'Right', Erza? That is a fairy tale for children. It is an assumption we make because we wish to make sense of the universe. The world is so, so very large, Erza, and it cares not how we live, suffer and die. But to find purpose, we invent ideas like 'right' and 'wrong', and just… assume this is a reasonable way of looking at reality. Anybody who sees through the veil will know… it is an arbitrary, ignorant world view, one that has no factual basis, one that is in constant flux and changes from one time and culture to another. A fairy tale is all it ever has been, and it has chained you well to Plato's cave."

"I have no idea what that means." Erza said bitterly. "All I hear is a really long excuse for how being scum is okay, for using monsters to do monstrous work. An excuse, that's all I hear."

Aizen smiled. "I really do like you, Erza Scarlet. Even though you are ignorant, narrow-minded and short-sighted, you are much more honest than any of the fools I suffer in this ridiculous afterlife."

"Go away." Erza said bitterly. "I want nothing to do with you."

"As you please." Aizen said. "You will be interned in the maggot's nest. I pleaded for you not to be executed, you see. I am very persuasive. And decades from now, when my plan has come to fruition and your power has drained, I will let you out. You will then see the fruits of my labour, and… you will see the error of your ways."

"Go away!" Erza shouted. Her anger was overflowing; she had so much to say yet no way to articulate it. She had been betrayed, by the man she had trusted more than any- he had betrayed her, her and everything she had believed in.

"Good bye, Erza." Aizen said, and walked away. "We shall see each other again."

* * *

Two days had passed since Erza's arrest, and Lisanna was as baffled as anyone else. Erza, the loyal, kind, dependable Erza, a traitor? She had seen the evidence, heard the testimonies, yet none of it still made sense to her- nothing of it fit. She had known Erza in life, unlike any of her other friends, and if there was anybody she had never expected to betray them, it would have been Erza. Everything she had ever done, she had done for her friends, for a better world…  
And now she was painted as an anarchist, a terrorist conspiring to overthrow the Gotei and destroy all that it stood for. It made no _sense_.

Because of that, this sensation of utter wrong, she had jumped on it when she had received a note from Rod Sentry. She didn't know him, but he was apparently one of Erza's friends- the second of the sole survivors from the massacre. So here she stood, in an alleyway far from any regular patrol route, waiting for him to show up. She hadn't needed to wait long; she had stood there for a few minutes when she turned her head once, and then, upon turning it back, found Rod standing right next to her.

"Damn!" Lisanna exclaimed, flinching. "It's creepy when you stealth corps do that, you know?"

"No time for chit-chatting." Rod said firmly. He had a weary look about him, like he was constantly in a state of having woken up an hour too early, but his eyes were alert. "Erza. Facing trial in twelve days, where she is all but guaranteed to face a lifetime in the maggot's nest at the least. Your thoughts?"

"Oh. Um." Lisanna said, collecting her thoughts. "It's nonsense, of course! She would never!"

"The evidence is quite overwhelming." Rod said, striking a match and lighting a cigarette. "Very convincing."

"It's not her!" Lisanna insisted indignantly. "She couldn't-"

"_Too_ convincing, actually. I've been part of the hunt for traitors three times in the past. When apprehended, you usually do not find a pile of evidence just lying around. You could, in theory, but… what are the odds?" He took a puff from his cigarette, blowing some smoke.

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying that Erza was very suddenly revealed a traitor, in spite of everything we know about her telling us it is extremely unlikely. I do not know her as well as you do, but- tell me, does Erza Scarlet have much of any guile? Is she the sort of charming socialite who could put on appearances and fabricate a mask to hide her true intentions? For years on end?"

"…no." Lisanna said. "No, she's just like me, just like the others- if she has something to say, she says it. She hates lying."

"Assessment correct." Rod said, nodding. "Her evaluation file in the corps says as much. Impulsive, a little reckless, strong sense of right and wrong, dutiful but known to prioritize her own sense of justice over service… we are rarely wrong, miss Strauss, and that is not the profile of a traitor."

"So what, then?" Lisanna said. "Was this a set-up?"

"It certainly smells like a framing." Rod said, nodding. "I don't know how or why, but I think somebody wanted her gone. Somebody very good at what he did, in a position to forge and plant evidence."

"Who?" Lisanna said. "Who could possibly…"

"Irrelevant." Rod said, shaking his head. "The question is: what will you do about it?"

"…I want to help her." Lisanna said. "She could be executed. I just… I don't know what I can do."

"I can do nothing." Rod said. "As she was a traitor, all her known associates are under scrutiny- _especially_ one within the onmitsukidou itself. Currently, it is believed I am on mission- something I will need to prove later."

"Some help you are," Lisanna said, scoffing.

"I can do nothing," Rod said, "except…" He dug out a folder from his shihakusho, with a few papers in them.

"What's that?"

"A guard schedule for the coming week." Rod said. "The cells are patrolled regularly, at precise intervals. There are some windows, however… if you had the right information."

"So I take some of our friends and go bust her out?" Lisanna said.

"No!" Rod said sharply. "This is a one person operation. Anything more is too high a risk. You all have eyes on you. I can keep them off you for a few hours, if I know when exactly to."

Lisanna eyed through the papers. "Damn… I don't see more than a five minute window here." She murmured.

"And that's a luxury." Rod said. "Go tomorrow night. Just past ten o'clock. Bring your zanpakutou. Break her out, and don't stop for any heartfelt words- just _go_. Understood?"

Lisanna nodded affirmatively. "Understood!"

"Good." Rod said. "I'll be setting up a _very_ firm alibi for myself. However… I think I can see to it that you'll be able to grab her zanpakutou. I'll set up a portal to the world of the living- I'll leave it there. You'll be given instructions when it's time."

"…good."  
Damn… what a rush. It was almost like she was in Fairy Tail again.

* * *

She wasn't sure how much time had passed. Enough that the worst of the anger had passed- the boiling, seething rage had passed, replaced by a chronic, vicious resentment. That bastard…  
But as luck would have it, Erza would not be left like so for long. In the middle of the night, something stirred- she could hear something rattle at the bars, then a crack as if from lightning, and a clanking as they dropped to the floor. Quickly, somebody hurried into her cell.

"Li-Lisanna?" Erza said, recognizing the presence at last.

"Your hands!" Lisanna said. Clumsily, her limbs stiff from having been still so long, Erza held them out. With a quick swipe from her claws, the sekki-sekki cuffs were ripped away.

"Thanks- thank you so much!" Erza murmured.

"No talking!" Lisanna hissed. "Come on, this way! Go! Go!"

* * *

Momo felt uneasy. Erza had been something special to her- a best friend, an older sister, a teacher… she had looked out for her, given her hope in her darkest hour and saved her life. Now, they said she was… a traitor. The way everyone had just turned around, one day adoring the heroic vice-captain and the next calling her a treasonous whore, it sickened her to the core. Under any other circumstance, being called to the captain's office, where she was now, would have been something she had approached with excitement, anticipation… but now, she could barely focus. She stood to attention, although she felt like she might cry at any moment.

"…as I am sure you understand better than anybody else, we were all shocked." Aizen said. "I personally had never expected she was anything but a model vice-captain. Brave, loyal, strong…" He sighed deeply, looking weary, a little sad. "The evidence has spoken for itself." He looked broken down, crushed. "Whatever comes next is out of our hands."

"She's innocent, captain!" Momo burst out, unable to hold herself back. "She'd never turn her back on us like this, she never would! She's innocent, and I'll prove it!"

Aizen gave her a warm smile. "Your loyalty warms my heart, Hinamori. But like I said, it is out of our hands… and for your own good, you ought not to do anything rash." Momo opened her mouth, as if to protest again, but Aizen held up his hand. "Whether rightly or wrongfully, I am robbed of a vice-captain. This division needs leadership, especially in these trying times- which is why effective immediately, I am promoting you to vice-captain."

"…" Momo gave him a blank stare, in disbelief. "No," she said at last.

"No?" Aizen said gently.

"It- it's her spot." Momo mumbled. "And I'm not- I'm not-"

"I would not offer you this if I did not believe you worthy." Aizen said. "I have no choice in the matter- Erza is not coming back any time soon. In the meantime… we need help. _I_ need help. Will you not be there for those who need you? Is that not what the friend you so love would do?"

Momo looked hesitant. "I… of course I will accept." But there was a bit of steel in her eyes, as she said, "But one day, I'll prove she is innocent. I swear it."

"I have no doubt you will do your best." Aizen said warmly. "For now, you are dismissed… vice-captain."

Momo nodded, and Aizen felt content as he watched her walk out. Erza had been a pet project. Her belief had always made her a bit of an X factor… and look how easily he had disposed of her once she rebelled. Hinamori Momo, that pitiful, weak-willed little girl, would make a desirable replacement- competent enough for the position, but lacking the will and initiative to be anything but a good little servant. He would mold her with time, put his mark on her… the plan proceeded as it should. This little speed bump would be meaningless in the long run. And one day, he would make Erza see it, his vision made real, and she would either see his genius or be horrified. Either one was sufficient.

Momo walked into the night, her heart on fire. Erza was everything she had ever wanted to be- strong, responsible, confident, caring, pure… she was the older sister she never had. This was not over, not for as long as she lived. One day, she would see Erza set free. One day, they would be together again- her, Erza, Renji, Hisagi, Kira, the others…  
No matter what it took.

* * *

It was strange how life worked. Less than two weeks ago, she had ran to Karakura, life being… normal. Comparatively speaking. Now, after having been rushed out of prison by Lisanna, with no time for anything more than a quick good-bye, she was once again descending through the air, Tetsu no Tama at her side. Rod had had his hand in this, she knew- Lisanna was not the break-into-prison type, she had to have help.  
It hurt. It hurt more than she could describe. The betrayal hurt, the realization that she had been a pawn to a wicked scheme hurt, that she had been used and thrown away like a tool. But most of anything, it hurt to leave them all behind. She had left Isane, Rangiku, Lisanna, Momo, Rukia, Renji, Kira, Hisagi, Nemu… she had made so many friends, and now they were all gone from her life, perhaps forever, as sure as if they were dead. She had not even got to say good bye. And if they ever saw her again, they would be duty bound to hunt her down, to subdue or even kill her.  
What did they all think, she wondered? Did they believe her a traitor? Did all of them hate her now, feeling as betrayed and angry as she did?

It was all she could do not to cry. Loneliness was ahead of her, and it was a hellish prison worse than any Aizen could have devised. All by her lonesome, she stared into the night, as she landed on top of a building in Karakura. From Fairy Tail to the afterlife, to once again in the world of the living- another world, with everything she had built since she died now gone.  
She sat there, not quite sure for how long, very near despair. But then, her isolation was broken, a presence having snuck up on her- she had been too busy wallowing in misery to even notice it. Tiredly, Erza raised her head to face it. Let it be a hollow about to attack her, she didn't care. In fact, beating something senseless would probably help about now.

It was no hollow, though. As Erza raised her head, she saw in the moonlight a familiar figure- a young woman, the very same that had helped her back then.

"Hi." She said. "We um, we never got introduced back then."

"Mmh." Erza said, barely responding.

"I am Kurosaki Masaki." The quincy said sweetly. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"…Erza Scarlet. Formerly fifth division." Erza said sullenly.

"Formerly?" Masaki said? "Well… you look like you need a place to stay. Why don't you come with me?"

Well, to hell with it. Going somewhere, with somebody, even if it was somebody she didn't know, that was better than staying here, alone with her thoughts. Erza nodded, and the quincy smiled, and nodded back. Quickly, she dashed off into the night, and Erza followed suit. The future was uncertain and the past was painful, but she would keep going.

* * *

**There we go, end of chapter 20. That sure was something now wasn't it? Lets address a few things first though.**

**1\. Isshin being effected by the hollow. I wanted to do something different than cannon, but keep it the same somewhat. Greatkingrat88 came up with the idea of this simply happening to Isshin instead. Seeing as how something similar (similar not the same) happened with Kain, it only stands to reason it could happen. And yes, that does mean Ichigo will still have his inner hollow. I love that psycho.**

**2\. Erza being cast out into Karakura town. This was ALWAYS planned, not some last minute decisions. When I say in the description of this story ****_"What does her presence change? More than one would think." _I'm very serious when I say that. All kinds of changes will follow once we get things going. What kind of changes? I'm not telling.**

**3\. Momo. Yes, she still has faith in Erza. Her other friends do too, to be sure, but out of ALL of them, its Momo who has the most faith. This event right here is a turning point for her. How so? I'll leave it up to your mind.**

**Thank you all so much for reading with us for 20 chapters once again! Please feel free to leave any reviews you want. Be they positive or critical critisim, I welcome both!**


	21. Titania ascends for a new Tomorrow

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and, Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima I own nothing. Thanks again to ****Greatkingrat88.**

**Ok, so...chapter is a little late...Sorry. Life got...Hard. Like, VERY hard. I failed my recent college class, and Ive been BUSY at my work. Greatkingrat88 has been busy himself. Still, you'll be happy to know that the next chapter has a lot of it already written down.**

**Better late than never after all. Besides...I think you'll all enjoy what happens in this chapter.**

**Please enjoy, and leave a review if you can, I greatly appreciate it.**

* * *

They dashed across the city through the night, Erza and the quincy- Masaki- and after a few miles, they slowed down, landing on a simple street by an apartment complex. Masaki opened a door, and Erza followed her up a staircase, into a small, but neat apartment- a couple of rooms, a kitchen, all the necessities she supposed a body would need. It looked different, as the fashions did for humans, but at the end of the day shinigami and human were not so different.

"Isshin!" Masaki shouted, as she hung up her coat, and took off her shoes. "Isshin, we got a visitor."

"What now?" Isshin said, his voice coming from another room.

"It's your angry redheaded friend." Masaki said.

"It's me!" Erza shouted, and immediately she could hear Isshin get up, and in a moment he had walked into the hall, a broad smile in his face.

"Erza!" He exclaimed, looking glad. "What- what brings you here? You didn't tell anybody, did you?" He said the last part, sounding a bit anxious.

"…no, nothing of the sort." Erza said, shaking her head. "Wait- you two are living together?" She gave Isshin a suspicious look, and he raised his hands defensively, and said,

"I'm a perfect gentleman, I assure you!" Erza could see the look on Masaki's face; eyes were definitely being rolled, but that didn't deter Isshin. "I swear to you, on my word as a man of honour-" this time, Erza was the one to roll her eyes, "-that there is nothing untoward going on. I just… didn't want to stay cooped up with that bucket hat creeper, and Masaki-chan just so happened to offer. I pay rent!" He said insistently.

"By 'offer' he means 'begged me on his bare knees'." Masaki said, scoffing. "He does pay rent, though." She admitted.

"I'm going to study to be a doctor!" Isshin said cheerily. "I'm indebted to the bucket hat for the time being, but I'll pay him back- set up, get my own place perhaps… well, that's all in the future. But… what brings you here? Got a mission done, decided to check in on ol' Isshin?" He grinned. "You're a good kid, Erza. You'll go far, mark my words."

Erza couldn't help herself. Isshin, he didn't know, didn't know she had lost everything- every friend, everyone she had gained that mattered…  
Without even realizing it happened, tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn't sob, but her shoulders shook and trembled, as she stood there in the hallway, her fists balled.

"E-Erza?" Isshin said, sounding shocked, unsure what to do. Masaki quickly put her arm around Erza, and said,

"Come along here, all right?"  
She led Erza into what probably was the living room, and sat her down on the couch, sitting next to her, gently rubbing Erza's shoulder. Isshin had followed, looking stupefied.

"Um," he murmured, "um, did somebody die, or-"

"Isshin, go make tea." Masaki said. Her tone was not sharp, but it was clear that she was not to be disobeyed in this moment.

"R-right," he said, and hastily made his exit.

For a while, Erza simply sat there, her face buried in her hands, her skin wet with tears. Again! She had lost all her friends once, and then she had gained new friends again then watched them die, and now… she had lost them all. _Again_. It was like having had an arm ripped off, like trying to see without eyes, like trying to run a mile without feet…  
Isane had once told her, when they first met in person on her sickbed after the massacre, that she was the kind of person who needed others. That some people did well on their own, and she wasn't one of them. Never before had she seen how right she had been. All her friends, gone- not even dead, but away from her, with a great big wall erected between them- it wasn't as bad as them being dead, but right now, in her misery, it was no comfort at all. Now Masaki, a stranger, was the only one she could lean on- a mortal enemy of the shinigami, rubbing her shoulder, saying comforting little things into her ear, holding her close…  
Without regard for petty things like history, grudges, racial divides or different ideologies, Erza leaned into her, taking comfort in being close, just being close to another person who cared- why she did it, or who she was, it didn't matter.

After some time- which could have been hours, as far as she knew, but probably wasn't- she became aware of Isshin sitting across them in a chair, a tray with three steaming mugs of tea standing on a rickety coffee table. He looked uncomfortable, powerless, and it struck Erza that he had probably never had much practice with emotional situations.  
Finally, Erza raised her head, and looked him in the eye. She had to look a mess, and she felt terrible, but it was… slightly better now. Just slightly.

"Try a mug," Masaki said softly, giving her a nod, "he makes a good cup. There's honey in it."

Erza nodded slowly, and took a mug, taking a small sip from it. The hot liquid went down her throat, and it felt soothing- nothing like tea to calm you down. After a few more sips, she cautiously spoke, not quite trusting her voice not to crack,  
"It's… I've been… I was…" She took a few long, heavy breaths, fighting the urge to break down again.

"That's fine, take your time." Masaki said sweetly.

"Uh, yeah," Isshin murmured.

"…I was kicked out." Erza mumbled at last. "They, they caught me, and I was gonna go on trial for treason…"

"Well, weren't you technically a traitor- OW!" Isshin cried, rubbing the shin of his left leg, and Erza noticed that Masaki's foot had jabbed out, fast and hard under the table.

"Go on when you feel like it," Masaki said calmly. "If he says something stupid again, I'll kick his other leg."

"…geez." Isshin murmured.

Erza let out a small giggle, despite herself, and sniffed. "They found me out. It was… Aizen." She said.  
Then she finally told the tale, about how she had been recruited, about how she had had her doubts about the Gotei, how Aizen had promised a better world if she joined him, how she had believed his every word, become his subordinate, intent on destroying the Gotei and rebuilding it, how it had all been for the greater good… how, slowly, she had come to see his ruthless side, how he had no scruples, how he had manipulated her and everyone else, how she had rejected him and been thrown in jail the very next day… how Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tousen was in league with him, how one was a monster and the other a fanatic, how Aizen was responsible for hollow experiments…  
Emotion washed over her as she spoke. So much came off her chest; so many fears and doubts she had held for so long. Masaki didn't seem to understand all of it, but her hand stayed around Erza's shoulder. She kept expecting Isshin's face to twist into disgust at her betrayal, that he would interrupt her and tell her off for her treason, call her out, shout at her… but all she saw in his face was surprise, surprised and concern.

"…and that's how I was escaped." Erza mumbled, feeling emotionally exhausted.

"Well, shit," Isshin murmured, looking more than a little shocked. "Aizen? Urahara told me he was a traitor back then, but I didn't know what to believe. He's straight as an arrow. Damn boy scout, that one. That… now that I think about it, always nice and responsible, good at everything he does… he does sound too good to be true, don't he?"

"You believe me?" Erza said weakly.

"You're not a liar." Isshin said simply. "No matter what you are in life, you're not a liar, and what you just told me is the truth as you see it. So… how long has he planned this?"

"…I don't know," Erza mumbled, making a helpless gesture with her hands, "if he wasn't lying, then he's been planning this for centuries."

Isshin nodded. "Damn. And I don't think you could warn the others, huh?"

Erza shook her head, bitterly. "The word of an escaped traitor next to captain perfect? Nobody's going to believe that for a second. Even if they did, he's got… illusions. That's what his zanpakutou does, perfect illusions."

Isshin nodded, and murmured, "Well… damn. We're up shit creek now, aren't we? Or they are, at least."

"I don't know what to do." Erza said, slumping back into the couch. "I just… everything I ever worked for, it's… gone. All my… all my friends…" She choked up again.

"Listen," Masaki said gently, "I don't understand a whole lot of this, and I'm not sure I want to, but your life isn't over. You're strong, I can tell- you can keep going."

"It's not as easy as that." Erza said gloomily. "I can keep going, sure, but I don't know _where_."

"This town gets lots of hollows." Masaki suggested. "And personally, I am tired of having to drop whatever I'm doing to hunt one down. An extra pair of hands wouldn't hurt."

"Yeah!" Isshin said spiritedly. "You can be like, a protector of the town! Watching over it stoically, defending it against incursions from the wicked. You could be the night! Be justice! Be b- OW!" He cried, rubbing his other shin. Masaki had feet that moved at superhuman speed, it seemed.

"But don't rush it." Masaki said. "You take the time you need. It's not easy moving past something like this. Until then…" She sighed. "Until then, stay here."

"…really?" Erza said, blinking. "You'd let me stay here, just like that?"

"I let this big idiot stay already." Masaki said. "My aunt would kill me if she knew- but then again, that's why I moved out."

"What's the rent?" Erza asked.

"Don't worry about that," Masaki said. "Just stick around, keep your head down and lend a hand when you can, all right?"

"Thanks" Erza said, smiling weakly.

"No problem." Masaki said, standing up and giving Erza a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I'll put out my spare bed. Isshin can sleep on the couch."

"But-" Isshin said, but Masaki gave him a look, and he immediately fell silent. Said and done, Masaki walked out.

"…she's really nice," Erza murmured, sipping at her tea, which was now lukewarm, almost cold.

"I know." Isshin said happily. "It's… life's not so bad with her around."

Erza nodded. "I guess it could be worse."

"Plus," Isshin said with a grin, "I think she likes me."

"I could tell by the way she kicks you." Erza said, her voice perfectly even.

"I know, right?" Isshin said. "Back when I first got here, she kicked much harder. I'm growing on her!"

Despite herself, Erza smiled. She had lost them all, she had been betrayed, but… it could really be worse. She didn't want to imagine the misery of having to do this alone.

* * *

That night she barely slept at all, tossing and turning in the bed Masaki had put out. For hours, she lay like that, sweating, her mind racing, her psyche stirred about and shook in a way it never had been before. Finally, toward the wee hours, she had enough. Grabbing Tetsu no Tama, she sat herself up against the wall cross-legged, closed her eyes, and forced herself calm enough to meditate.  
It took some time, but soon, she stood in the marble palace, looking up at the golden throne. It was oddly reassuring- for the first time, she did not feel irked at the excessive pomp and glamour of this place, but relief at its familiarity- her world had been torn from her, but here inside her soul, some things remained constant.

"My master." Tetsu no Tama said, standing up, and walking down to greet her. He had taken to doing so recently, rather than look down on her.  
"My master, I feel your loss as if it were my own." He said solemnly.

Erza nodded. "Thank you."

"I feel it," he said, "yet I am not as shaken with it. Suffering is an inevitable consequence of being alive. That is why I ask you, now that all you held dear was wrenched from you: what will you do next? Choose your words carefully, my master."

"…I do not know." Erza said simply. She was at peace here, no tears threatening to swell up, no anger overwhelming her, only a cool and quiet sadness.

"Nonsense!" Tetsu no Tama barked. "You _do_ know what you must do next, master. You have options, several paths you could take, and deep down you know which one to take."

"Do I?" Erza said defiantly.

"You do!" The spirit insisted haughtily. "There are so many things you could do. You could leave this life behind, and become this city's protector. You could forget the life you used to lead, and run- you could see the world, explore it, find a new life wherever it suited you. You could forsake all things spiritual. You could rise up against this and resolve that one day, Aizen Sousuke shall feel the taste of my edge. These are all things you can do, my master- but in your heart, you know which one it must be. You know which one your virtue demands- so do not mewl like a meek and powerless coward!"

"…I will not take revenge on Aizen Sousuke." Erza said slowly.

"Will you not?" Tetsu no Tama snarled. "The man is a monster, who took all from you, all you held dear. You would let that stand?"

"I will not take revenge," Erza said carefully. "Vengeance is nothing more than a grudge made into violence. There is no purpose to that. I will not take revenge, Tetsu no Tama- but I will do what is right."

"And what is 'right', Erza?" The spirit boomed. "To stay down, cowardly bow to scum like Aizen, let him become overlord of all creation?"

"To protect the weak!" Erza snapped. "To protect your friends when they cannot protect themselves, to stand up against bullies and tyrants, to use my strength for something more than just gaining power!"

Tetsu no Tama's haughty expression softened, and he smiled contentedly, but Erza was not done.

"I am not done with the Gotei Thirteen," she continued, feeling like a fire was rising in her chest, "nor am I done with Aizen. He told me that they were corrupt- and he is right! So I will do as he said, and believe the impossible to change the world- not for him or his cruel and callous vision, but for them! For Momo, and for Renji, and for Isane and Nozomi and everyone else who is still left there! Because they are still my friends! Even if every last one of them thinks of me as a traitor, even if I lost them all, I will still move forward. One day I will change the entirety of the Gotei thirteen, and I will not let Aizen stand in my way!"

Tetsu no Tama nodded, and said,  
"You already did know, my master."

Erza took a few deep breaths. "…I suppose I did." She mumbled. "Yes. I'm not done with Aizen, not by a long shot. But I can't exactly go charging in back, can I? It will take time- many years, probably- but I'm going to get stronger, and find the right opportunity."

"And if your friends come at you as if you were enemy scum to die by your blade? If you find that you must slay Aizen Sousuke?" The spirit said.

"…I won't kill anybody unless there is no other choice left. But… I'll do what I have to. I cannot know how it will go until I am there, and I won't speculate on it and drive myself crazy." Erza said, shaking her head. "No, for now… I'll be staying with the quincy. And even though he's shady, I'll have to make some sort of deal with Urahara eventually. Whatever it takes, Aizen will go down- not because I want to get back at him, but because of what will happen if he isn't dealt with."

"Acceptable." Tetsu no Tama said. "You have a long road ahead, Erza. Yet, you have taken a step forward. Nurse and cultivate the pain you feel, my master- let it serve as a reminder of why you fight."

* * *

Erza was no stranger to being awkward. She had always been a savant of violence, yet always challenged by human interaction- but the first few weeks were awkward to an extreme, even without people around her. She was around a hundred years old now, and the better part of that life had been spent as an officer and a fighter- no matter what there had always been things to do, patrols to walk, reports to fill, hollows to hunt, friends to talk to… she had been in charge, a leader among her kind. She had issued orders, she had led people into battle, she had been at the very top of shinigami organization. Her days had been full, so filled to the brim with work that she sometimes wondered how it all had been possible. Being a shinigami, she realized now, was not just a job- it was a lifestyle, a philosophy, an occupation to fill your entire sense of self up.  
It was shocking, almost painful, to wake up one day after another with _absolutely nothing to do_. Aside from the always present pain of having lost her friends, she felt hollow inside- not for having been betrayed or hurt, but for having lost all the practical things that had given her a sense of self-worth. She was not a workaholic, she hadn't lived for her job- but she was practical, and lazing about did not suit her in the slightest.

Though Masaki was a gracious host, supportive of her despite barely knowing her, Erza found herself feeling like a parasite, living in her apartment and eating her food, contributing nothing of value. Sure, there was the odd hollow hunt- but they were few in between compared to the missions she would take in the Gotei Thirteen, and none of them were so challenging Masaki could not have handled them herself. To wake up each day, eat breakfast, and then face a day of _nothing at all_ was crushing. She had not lost the determination she had demonstrated to Tetsu no Tama, but she scarcely knew what to do with herself- she would patrol the town, although to not much avail, and she had to do it while always keeping an eye out for other shinigami. She would not want herself spotted; the things she would have to do if they sent a hunting squad for her…  
It was the strangest thing, being among humans again. Once a top ranking officer, now she was just a face in the crowd- a crowd that, almost all of them, could not even see her. She had come from a world of humans, like all shinigami- but this was one different from the one she left, alien and cold, filled to the brim with people but with precious little of the humanity she had felt in Fairy Tail.

* * *

Things were silent. Normally, it'd be an awkward silence, but to call it that, here and now, would be the understatement of the century. It was an oppressive, heavy silence, hanging over them like a dark storm cloud about to burst.  
Momo had called the meeting, and Renji, Kira and Hisagi had come. But now, here in the back yard of the ninth division, it seemed nobody knew what to say, where to start. The issue was so obvious- Erza was gone, declared a traitor. They were all under investigation for having been her associates. Their careers could be in jeopardy, but that was the least of their concerns.  
Erza had been their teacher. Both Renji and Momo thought of her as an older sister, somebody they could trust, rely on no matter what- a role model. She was the shinigami Renji wanted to be. She was the sister Momo always wanted. Now… she was gone. What's worse, all the official sources said there was evidence that, all along, she had sought to betray the Gotei. That Erza, strong, beloved, dependable Erza, was a two-faced lying traitor.

It was all too much to handle.  
"…she's innocent, you know." It was Momo who broke the silence at last, her voice quiet, barely more than a whisper.

"Of-fucking-_course_ she is." Renji growled. "Way to state the obvious, huh?"  
He was angry, very angry, ready to lash out at anything that made a wrong move.

"Listen," Kira said, his voice subdued, defeated, "nobody is going to say she wasn't good to us. That she wasn't a good person. That she wouldn't do something like that without a good reason-"

"Something like what?!" Momo said, raising her voice a little. "She didn't do it, Kira!"

"Hinamori, I saw the evidence." Kira said quietly. "Stolen blueprints from a rogue scientist she killed. Evidence that she set up the bombs that destroyed the science division. It… it's right there, plain to see-" He looked despairing, his voice strained. He was interrupted, though, by Renji, whose voice was little more than a growl.

"Hey, Kira," he said darkly, "you better shut your fucking mouth. Right now, or I'll break your jaw in so many fucking places, you'll eat from a straw for the rest of your life."

"You can't ignore it, Abarai!" Kira shot back defiantly. "You can turn a blind eye, you and Hinamori, but that won't make it less true!"

"Do you think I was fucking kidding?!" Renji snarled, balling his fists and walking toward Kira. "That's Erza you're talking about, _fucking Erza_, and if you don't shut the fuck up I'll-"

"Enough!" Hisagi shouted, stepping in between the two. "It doesn't matter what happened-"

"It does!" Momo insisted. "She's innocent, I know she is, and we have to prove it!"

"It doesn't matter!" Hisagi insisted. "It doesn't matter. Right now, what matters is that she's gone. She ran away, and that's the cold hard truth. Whether the evidence is real or not, running away doesn't look good! Now, I don't know- I don't _want_ to think of her as a traitor, but I've no way of knowing- she could be anywhere right now, and we can't ask her. _Right now_, we have to focus. She's gone, and that's the truth. Nothing we can do about it. _Right now_, we keep our heads down and do our jobs. And for fuck's sake, we lean on each other instead of fighting, you dullards! That means you, Renji! And you, Kira, show some goddamn sensitivity!"

Renji and Kira both glared at him, but stayed quiet.

"I still believe in her." Momo said quietly.

"That's all right." Hisagi said. "Me, I don't know what to believe. We need to look to the future, not dwell on the past."

"I'm not forgetting!" Renji snapped.

"Me either!" Hisagi said. "But don't let this fuck you up, okay? If you believe in her, then be what she'd want you to be."

"…fine." Renji grumbled sullenly.

"And you, Hinamori," Hisagi said, "you may wanna keep that on the down low. You may be a vice-captain, but people don't take kindly to people believing in traitors- _alleged_ traitors, that is." He said, changing the wording as he saw Momo's expression.  
"For now, just…" He sighed. "Just remember her as she was to you, and keep going. That's what she'd want, I'm sure."

The silence came back, and eventually, they dispersed. There was no peace to be had, but at the very least they had their minds a bit clearer.

* * *

Although lost and down on her luck, even with the weight of uselessness hanging over her, Erza was practically minded. She had a new world to live in, and she had to adapt. She would make her way here, for as long as it took. That meant blending in as a human, and pulling her weight.  
That first order of business, blending in, meant paying Urahara Kisuke a visit. It grated on her to do so, but unfortunately he seemed to have a monopoly on practical gadgets like those- and, if Masaki were to be believed, quite a few other things. From what she gathered, he was every bit as shady as he seemed, but always too necessary for anybody to object. She resented being indebted to him- he had been right about Aizen, and it may well have been that he was innocent of treason, but that made him no less untrustworthy in Erza's eyes. She did not want to owe him money, or favours- she had had quite enough of owing something to untrustworthy, manipulative bastards.

But reality, of course, was that she didn't have much of a choice. If she wanted a gigai, to fit in among the people as one of their own, then to Urahara's shop she had to go.  
So it was that, after having decided that two weeks was enough time to wallow in self-pity, Erza found herself outside his store. The bespectacled, muscular man stood waiting for her, and wordlessly pulled the door open, motioning for her to come inside. Somewhat suspiciously, one hand on Tetsu no Tama's scabbard, Erza stepped inside. When last she had been here, Erza had spent most of her time in a room near Isshin's. Now, it all looked so strangely different- familiar, but different, with the daylight shining in on the shelves, full of petty goods- goods that she suspected were there only for show. Urahara himself stood behind the counter, lazily leaned over it, a grin on his face.

"Why, miss Scarlet!" He said cheerily, as she slowly walked up to him. "What brings you to my humble store?"

"I need something, and you're the only one who can get it for me." Erza said bluntly. "I've no interest in playing games- I have come here because I need a gigai. What will it cost me?"

Urahara sighed theatrically, and said, "Has anyone ever told you that you suck the fun out of things? A gigai, yes… a gigai, that we can arrange. But those are expensive… extensive man hours assembling complex parts, all put together with a positively brilliant scientific method… why yes, they are quite costly. What's a humble shop-keep to do, just hand them out?"

"I said, no games." Erza said firmly. "What will it cost me? I don't have any money- not yet. I can't make any either, not without looking human. The only thing I can offer is myself- and _not_ in that sort of way." She said the last part sharply.

"What sort of way?" Urahara said innocently. "I have no idea what you are talking about, miss Scarlet. You must have a very dirty mind, making all these assumptions about innocent store owners."

"You are anything but innocent, you scoundrel." Erza said, furrowing her brows. "Will you do it or not? I won't get down on my knees and beg- tell me what I must do, and-"

Urahara snapped his fingers, and a door opened to the side of the room. Out stepped a replica of herself, although slightly different-looking, wearing simple modern clothes- a T-shirt, jeans, and a pair of brown leather shoes. Her hair, Erza noticed, was shorter, and a dark shade of brown instead.  
"I started working on it the morning after you arrived," Urahara said, shrugging casually as if he hadn't set this up for dramatic effect, "as a side project, for my amusement. You would eventually need one, and where else would you get one?"

"…that makes sense." Erza said cautiously, examining the gigai up close. It looked her in the eye, and said,  
"Hello!"

"And that would be the mod soul I am using to keep it moving whenever you would be out of it." Urahara said. "I modelled her to look like you- only a bit more… Japanese. You don't exactly look like you are from around here- so I took some liberties."

"I have no problem with that." Erza said, nodding. "What will it cost me? Like I said, I have no money."

"Miss Scarlet," Urahara said smoothly, walking out from behind the counter, holding his cane up, "I am a businessman. Yes, you have no money. But like you said, you can make no money without it. This gigai? It is yours. Consider it an investment."

"No strings attached?" Erza said suspiciously.

"Oh, strings are attached all over it," Urahara said cheerily. "I will not expect money for it. An appropriate price would require the salary of, say, the CEO of a major company. You, with no professional education, wouldn't make an iota's worth of that, if you managed to land a job. Human currency has limited use to me, anyhow. No, what's important is having an associate to call upon- somebody powerful, talented, with lots of potential. You will owe me favours, Erza- quite a few. If I need an errand run, you will run it posthaste, no matter how small it will seem."

"I won't do anything that's wrong," Erza said, looking him in the eye.

Urahara looked back, a glimmer in his eye. "Five years. Five years of servitude, and I will consider this paid in full. Mind you, I won't have you slave away in the shop- I have that covered already. Errands, of a kind that require competent muscle, that is what I will need you for. And no, I will not abuse or manipulate you. You stood up to Aizen, of all people- what luck would I have?" His grin went away, and with a serious tone, he said, "You do not trust me, Erza Scarlet, and you are right to do so. You are stuck in a strange world, and trusting strangers is foolish. I am not a saint by any means, but I am not Aizen, and I will not ask anything of you that you would find morally objectionable- mostly because you would probably refuse. But at the end of the day, I am not a harsh taskmaster, or a bad man to work with. Don't think of this as indentured servitude- think of it as a partnership."

"You talk a good deal," Erza said, scowling. "So did Aizen, and he was more convincing than this. But… for now, I'll take your offer. But if anything seems off…"

"Then the deal is also off!" Urahara said cheerily. He extended his hand. "To the future, miss Scarlet."

Hesitantly, she took his hand, and shook it.

"Well, go on then," Urahara said with a smile. "Try it on. It's yours."

Two minutes later, Erza walked out of the shop, looking very much like a Japanese citizen. In her pockets were papers, ID documents naming her Eruza Sukaretto, complete with information on her supposed date of birth, hometown, and even a certificate of having graduated eighteen years' worth of schooling- she wasn't quite sure how the education system worked in this country. She'd have to figure that out later. At any rate… she was good to go.

* * *

Finding work, though, was not exactly easy. It wasn't like she had no experience with being human- eighty odd years ago she had been alive, doing work and earning money. But this world was… different. There were no mage's guilds, and no monsters to slay for pay, or the many odd jobs that required mages. In this time, in this world, you had to have papers proving you existed, and you had to have papers proving you had gone to school… and if you hadn't gone to school long enough, you couldn't get anything but the lowest jobs. It was frustrating. She had been a powerful, adventurous mage, and after dying, she had been a military officer. This world seemed to have no need for either one.  
Directly after receiving her gigai, she had started searching. She had applied to work at stores, wherever they could be found, and had been turned down seven times before lunch. She had applied for part time jobs. She had even tried her luck in a bar, where there was an opening for a bouncer- a job that she could actually do, and do well. But the owner had taken one look at her, and laughed- they needed big, strong men, he had explained, not _women_. It had taken some restraint not to punch him when he suggested that maybe she could work as a server if she put on a miniskirt.  
Human life was hard. Obnoxious, even. She had faith in herself, she knew she was talented and strong- but Japan did not seem to share her belief. It was nearly evening when she at last sat down on a bench in Karakura, having been turned down more times than she cared to count- thirty, at least?

Then, as if by providence, she saw a kid walking out from a building down the street, with a big grin on his face. He carried a practice sword, an unmistakable item for her. Intrigued, she stood up, and walked down toward the building he had left. As she came closer, she saw a big sign, saying  
'TATEWAKI DOJO'

A dojo. A place to learn sword fighting. She took a closer look. It wasn't the most impressive thing- it was a locale squeezed in between a sushi shop and a shoe store, its sign looking a bit worn. Would there be a place for her there? Probably not. Would she try? Yes.  
Decisively, she opened the door, and walked in. Although the exterior had not been impressive, the inside looked decent- it was roomy, well lit, and past the small entry hall was a large room, filled with mats, with sword stands and protective equipment, everything you needed for kendo practice. Half the room was filled with boys, probably no older than twelve, practicing with their swords, doing one swing after the other under the instruction of their sensei. It looked all right, but she saw room for improvement- the kids seemed all right, but with proper instruction, they could be really good.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Erza looked around, to see a middle-aged man, wearing a kimono with the dojo's logo on it. "I don't believe we've met. Are you here to pick up your son? Or little brother, perhaps?"

"Oh, not at all," Erza said. "I was just curious. It's a decent place, this."

"Thank you, ma'am," The man said, nodding. "We try our best to make this the best dojo in Karakura. We provide practice for children ages eight to twelve, as well as teenagers and young adults. Are you interested in taking it up? It's a fine hobby, even for girls. Teaches you discipline, gumption, all the things a man- er, person needs to succeed in life."

Erza stopped herself from laughing. "I'm looking for work, actually. You seem a bit short-handed, and… well, I'm pretty good at sword-play, and I have experience teaching."

"You?" The man said, frowning. "No disrespect, ma'am, but what would you know-"

"I am willing to bet I know more than most here." Erza said. Realizing that might come off as arrogant, she added, "No offense."

"You are a strange one." The man said, almost scowling now. "But I'm afraid we have no openings. Business is slow, the economy isn't what it should be, and so on. I'm sure you know how it is."

"Try me." Erza said firmly, balling her fists. "Your best. Against me, right now. If he can land one hit on me, I'll leave and you won't hear from me again. If I win… you give me a job."

"That's not how it works!" The man snapped. "I am in charge of this dojo, and I hire based on competence in teaching, not just sword fighting- and there's no room in our budget!"

"Come now, old man," said a younger man, approaching the two, a helmet in one hand and a sword in the other, "if she wants to try, let her. Could be a fun distraction, right?"  
He was young- old enough to have graduated a professional school, but much younger. Tall and muscular, he exuded confidence- he was probably their best.

"I'll be more than a distraction." Erza said. "I'll fight you- or anyone else."

"I'm Seiji." He said, smiling and extending his hand.

Erza shook it, with some hesitance. "Erza Scarlet." She said.

"Have it your way," the older man grumbled. "You can't help but chase after anything in a skirt- but I'm not promising anything."

"Well, there you go," Seiji said cheerily. "Get suited up, and I'll meet you out there in the hall. It'll be a good opportunity for the kids to learn something."

Erza nodded, and a few minutes later, she stood on a mat out in the hall, wearing the full suit of protective padding, a helmet covering most of her face. The children had stopped practicing, all of them looking at the two of them, whispering excitedly. Erza stood ready, holding a simple bamboo sword up in a basic stance.

"All right, kids," Seiji said, "this lady here says she is very good. I don't know if she's telling the truth- maybe she is. Either way, I want you to pay attention." He looked directly at Erza. "I won the regional championships twice before I started teachings, and I never heard of anybody on a professional level named Erza Scarlet. You better be as good as you say, because I won't hold back even if you're a girl."

"Just go." Erza said coldly. The only possible restraint here was her gigai- she couldn't move as fluently in it as she could inside her soul-body, but even then, she could read Seiji pretty well.

"All right," he said. Quickly, he stepped forward, with a quick, decisive swing coming down on her- and before he knew what had happened, Erza had sidestepped, and stabbed her sword forward, hitting him square in the chest.

"Point to the challenger!" The manager called out.

"Well… that happened." Seiji said confusedly. "Try again?"

"Just a fluke, I'm sure," Erza said, keeping a neutral tone. She was not one for gloating. Again, they took their stances. This time, Erza took the initiative, surging forward with speed. Seiji tried to parry and counterattack, but Erza was too quick, her sword batting his aside, hitting him over the head.

"Damn," Seiji muttered, sounding a bit annoyed, "you're… faster than you look."

"Two times is nothing." Erza said dismissively. "Again."

"Have it your way," he said, taking a stance, looking far more cautious now. Erza simply took the initiative, surging forward. Seiji parried once, twice, and almost had an opportunity to strike- but Erza caught his sword, directed it into the floor, and whacked him over the shoulder.

"Three to one for the challenger!" The manager said.

"Three times is nothing, right?" Seiji said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Correct." Erza said. This was not fair, not even slightly, but sparing his feelings was not a priority compared to not having to relive the kind of rejection she had faced today. Again they took a stance, and again it repeated- four, five, six, seventeen times, until the manager finally called for her to stop. Seiji had not come close to hitting her even once.

"What the hell…" He murmured irritably, as they took their helmets off.

"You lean your right foot forward a little too far." Erza said matter-of-factly. "You like a wide, quick swing downward, to either incapacitate your opponent right away, or set yourself up for a counterattack. The problem is that you project your intent very clearly, and any experienced fighter could read it and counter appropriately. The difference in skill isn't even what lost you this fight."

"I should call you 'sensei', huh?" Seiji said, dropping the sword to the floor. "And here I thought I was good at this…"

"You are, for your age." Erza said. "I'm better."  
She sighed. "It was not my intention to humiliate you. However, I do not like to hold myself back."

"No, I understand," Seiji said.

"Well, I'll be damned! I've never seen Seiji get trashed like that," The manager said, now with a grin on his face. He extended his hand, and Erza shook it firmly. "Name's Tatewaki Shiro, manager and owner of this place. Seems like you made an impression." He gestured with his thumb at the children, who were looking wide-eyed at her, whispering among themselves. "Why don't you get the training gear off, and come with me?"

Erza nodded, took the training clothes off, and followed Tatewaki into his office- a small, rather Spartan room, with an equally humble desk, and a couple of simple chairs to sit on.

"I'll get right down to business," Tatewaki said, "that was a damn good show, and we could benefit from that sorta talent. Thing is, I can't pay you a whole lot- you're not gonna make rent on this stuff."

"I don't need a lot," Erza said. "I'll work hard, too. And if business gets better and I do well, you could always give me a raise."

"Right down to business as I said, huh?" Tatewaki said, with a small grin. "You got yourself a deal. Come here next Monday, bring your qualifications, and we'll sign a temporary contract. See how it goes."

"Qualifications. Right." Erza said, nodding. She'd have to stop by Urahara's again… "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Tatewaki."

* * *

A couple of weeks passed, and Erza found herself adjusting fairly well. Teaching children was nostalgic- at times, she felt deeply moved, remembering what it had been like teaching her juniors, the friends they had become… mostly, she was just glad to have a job she could enjoy. The pay was quite modest, just as the manager had said, but Erza had never been a big spender to begin with- she gave almost all of her wage to Masaki, who would protest each time. Erza didn't need it, aside from the bare necessities of food.  
But as time passed, she realized she could not neglect her training. She did mean, after all, to reach _bankai_, to gain great strength and, some day far down the line, make her return… and to that end, she had to train.  
This realization was followed by another, more irritating realization- that the only person she could turn to was Urahara Kisuke. The man himself did not irk her so much as the fact that he seemed to have a monopoly in matters spiritual, and each time she turned to him, she would owe him more…  
She had considered turning to the quincies, but if Masaki was to be believed, the few remaining hated shinigami- and most of everyone- with a passion, and she would be lucky to walk away peacefully if she approached them.

Beggars could not be choosers. If she could hurt, fight, bleed, almost die several times over in the name of her beliefs, as she had in her time in the Gotei, then she could ask Urahara Kisuke for help. It was just that, well, almost dying was a lot easier on her pride than this. So it was that, with a bit of frustration, she turned up at the Urahara shop's front one Saturday morning.  
Of course, as luck would have it, nobody answered the door. Grunting in frustration, Erza walked round the back, checking the windows- nobody seemed to be in. After five minutes of annoyed searching, she slumped down on the front porch, resigning herself to a wasted day. What rotten luck- how would she advance, if she had nobody to spar with, to challenge her? With time, she would get weaker- strength needed to be exercised, lest it would wane.  
She saw a black cat sitting a few yards down, just by the porch, licking its paw.

"Huh. I didn't figure Urahara for a cat person." Erza said. She sat quietly for a bit, then said, "I wish I was a cat. All I'd have to worry about is keeping my fur neat and clean, and where to find a piece of fish to eat…"

"It is quite overrated," The cat said. Erza was surprised; she hadn't heard cats talk in a very long time- but it brought back memories, memories of talking cats, adventures in Fiore… Happy the cat had been quite the talker, and he was certainly not human. Talking cats was not really unusual- but it was unexpected.

"Is it now?" Erza replied. "You look content as you are."

"I am, yes," the cat said. "And for the record, I prefer quality grade cat food over fish. And cream. Fish is for simpletons." It turned its head to look at her, and it looked as if it would frown, had it the face of a human.

"Oh, I see, mister Cat," Erza said, leaning back against the wall.

"You are not surprised." The cat said. "That is a disappointing first. Usually, people at _least_ have the courtesy to widen their eyes in shock. A talking cat isn't something you see every day, is it?"

"Not for many years, no," Erza said. "What's your name, mister Cat?"

"I am Yoruichi." The cat said, raising one of its hind legs, scratching its ear. "I suppose you are here looking for Kisuke?"

"I was, yes," Erza said, letting out a sigh. "Looks like I am out of luck, though…"

"He is a fickle and silly man," the cat said, with a mild, chastising scorn Erza recognized as that of somebody who could only be a friend- good friends treated each other with kindness, but the best of friends could insult each other like it was nothing.  
"He runs little errands now and then, doing lord knows what sort of shady business." The cat- Yoruichi- said. "He could be back in an hour, or in two days… you never know."

"That's too bad. So… how do you know him?"

"Longtime friends." Yoruichi said, her tone indicating the verbal equivalent of a shrug. "You must be that new potential he has running errands for him. I noticed clearly that you were not human, of course. I may not be a scientist, but I know a gigai when I see one, and I sense your energy- well kept, but not well enough."

"You really are knowledgeable, mister Yoruichi," Erza said. "Well… I better get going, I suppose."

"If I did not know better, I would think you either the most cynical, disillusioned spirit I ever met, or plain dumb," Yoruichi said, sounding amused. "A talking cat, and no reaction in sight…"

"Where I come from, we had talking cats." Erza said plainly. "Several of them. I'm not… I'm not of this world, actually. I don't know how, but I never lived and died on this earth before passing."

"Now _that_ is interesting." The cat said, walking over to her, looking at her closely. "So what brought you here?"

"Nothing you could help me with, I think," Erza said. "I need somewhere to train… I need to get stronger."

"They all say that." Yoruichi said dismissively. "I hate to break it to you, but Kisuke is not exactly the training type."

"It's the only place I have to go," Erza said, shrugging. "And if I don't even try… well, there's nothing worse than giving up without even trying."

"You have gumption, I will give you that," the cat said. "So you think I cannot help you?"

Erza looked at the cat, seated next to her, and said,  
"No, I'm afraid not."  
This really was a curious animal, she had to admit. There were no talking cats in this world that she knew of; magic seemed not to exist at all outside the spiritual realm. But then again, the world was a vast place that she didn't know very well, and there was no reason to question it that she could think of.  
Then, suddenly, interrupting her pondering, the cat began to glow. Startled, Erza moved back a little, nearly falling over, as the cat's mass turned into pure light, seeming to expand, and…  
There was a mist clearing quickly, and in its place stood a fully grown woman, beautiful and with purple hair- and, it became obvious as the smoke cleared, wearing no clothes whatsoever.

Then, it clicked.  
"Purple hair?" Erza said. "Wait- you're _that_ Yoruichi? Shihoin Yoruichi?"

"Glad to see I am still remembered." Yoruichi said, grinning and sitting down cross-legged next to Erza, seeming unconcerned with her own nakedness. She was a strange sort- then again, so was Erza herself.

"As a traitor, mostly," Erza mumbled. "But I guess you were the one who saved Urahara from execution, right? Commander of the stealth corps, and all that…"

"You're not dumb, I'll give you that," Yoruichi said cheerily. "But I'll say the jury is still out on being cynical. A talking cat, which on top of that transforms into a naked woman? What does it take to shock you, Erza Scarlet?"

"Maybe it'd have worked better if I had been a guy?" Erza said, smiling uneasily.

"Somehow, I doubt even that." Yoruichi said. "Training, you said… well, Kisuke does keep a very extensive cellar you could use. Plenty of space to get rough, even if you were captain level."

"You should spar with me." Erza said spiritedly. "You were a captain, once- I could learn a lot from you! And not to beat my own drum, but I think you could learn something fighting me, too."

"Oh?" Yoruichi said, sounding skeptical. "Thanks for the offer, but… that was a long time ago. Nearly a hundred years, actually. Now, I'm just a cat slash naked lady, getting by one day at a time."

"That must be terribly boring," Erza said. "Don't you want to liven things up? Remember how good it felt to use your body?"

"You know, I think like that sometimes," Yoruichi said, the grin on her face fading away a little, "and then I remembered how nicolas cage-awfully stressful being a captain was. Running a whole division, _and_ the intelligence unit as well? That's an ulcer waiting to happen. Everyone is so uptight, so _boring_… frankly, I have no regrets about leaving. Best decision of my life. Every day's a vacation day."

"No regrets at all?" Erza said. Maybe it were true, but she didn't believe it. She had felt nothing but regret, and unless Yoruichi had hated everyone she knew, there would be people- just like Erza- left behind.

"Well, almost none," Yoruichi said, her voice glib. "But I must decline. Very busy, you see."

"Finding some canned tuna?"

"Exactly that!" Yoruichi said, with an enthusiastic nod, "so if you'll excuse me…"

"Well, you could do that…" Erza said. "You can spend every day drinking cream, eating tuna, and treating all of life as a vacation… but you were a captain, and you did good, as far as I could tell. Nobody goes that far without drive. Without competence. Nobody gets that good without having at least a little pride in what they do." Seeing the look on Yoruichi's face, turning less tolerantly jovial by the moment, she hastily added, "now, I don't know you, but if it were me, I'd want to keep that part of me alive. The one that made me proud. You were in charge of the stealth unit, and you taught the one who leads it now. You're an expert martial artist, aren't you? Isn't that something you were proud of?"

Erza looked at her tentatively, wondering if she had gone too far, if she had been presumptuous, if she had offended her… what did she know, after all?  
"Oh, for crying out loud…" Yoruichi murmured, staring into the sky. "I suppose it _does_ get boring sometimes… there's no need for you to make some big, dramatic speech like we were in some movie about an idealistic rookie seeking out a retired veteran, okay?"

"Uh, sure," Erza said, not quite sure what Yoruichi meant.

"Well good, because I'm not going to be your Obi-Wan," Yoruichi said. "But… well, I suppose I could show you a few stretches. Nothing fancy. I'm just staying in shape, and if you join in… well, I won't stop you. We'll see where that leads. All right?"

"All right," Erza said.

Yoruichi stood up. "Well, let's get inside. I've got a hell of a cellar to show you…"

In the end, they did a lot more than just stretch. Yoruichi, clothes or none, was quite the martial artist after all.

* * *

Time passed in a flash. After three years, Masaki and Isshin were married- he had been right; she really did like him. After four, they had a baby on the way. Exactly how that worked, Erza wasn't sure- Urahara had to be quite the expertly builder when it came to gigai.  
Life- afterlife- was funny that way. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, it had been five years of human life, and Erza was on her way to the hospital, wearing a gigai, holding Masaki's hand, which was squeezing hers desperately though the birth cramps. Isshin himself was driving a car, and had a manic look about him. Erza presumed it was a new father kind of thing, although she wouldn't exactly know.  
One maddening drive later, they had arrived at the hospital, Masaki had been wheeled off to a birthing room, surrounded by nurses and doctors, and Erza and Isshin had been shown to a waiting room.

Isshin looked jittery, like he was about to explode at any moment, his hands nervously running through his hair non-stop.

"Calm down," Erza said, although she suspected it would take a pretty heavy dose of medical drugs for him to relax at this point.

"I'm- I'm fine," Isshin insisted. "It's uh, just a, um, a lot to take in. You know?"

"I can imagine." Erza said, nodding. "It's not every day your first child is born."

"You don't have to stay, you know," Isshin mumbled. "I'm sure you got, y'know, kids to teach swordfighting and such."

"I'm not going anywhere." Erza said resolutely. "The kids can wait. If the dojo head has a problem with that, to hell with him. This is more important. Besides, you'd break down without me." She said, smiling and giving him a pat on the back.

"…thanks." He murmured. "I'm uh, I'm just gonna go out the hall and pace back and forth frantically, okay?"

"I'll get some coffee." Erza said, and nodded.

The wait was long- it seemed like it took ages to Erza, and she could only imagine how long it must have felt for Isshin. They had arrived in the evening, and it was well into the wee hours when the doctor came out, announcing that Kurosaki Masaki had given birth to a healthy baby boy, without complications. Isshin was beside himself with joy, and immediately rushed off to see his wife. Erza did not follow- she was close to them both, but that should be a moment just between the two of them, a father meeting his son for the first time…  
But even in her gigai, she could sense the baby. In the womb, close as he was to his mother, it had been difficult- but now born, she could feel his soul blaze and burn, powerful, like a beacon… born to a shinigami and a quincy, of course he would be strong from the beginning- he had won the genetic lottery. But the thing about beacons was that they attracted flies…  
After catching a few hours of sleep, she got her phone up, and called her boss to take a week off. He wouldn't be happy, but she was in good enough standing that she wouldn't get fired. Even if she did, this was more important- Isshin was powerless and Masaki was still recovering, and _if_ something attacked… it would be up to her and her alone to do something about it. The mere thought of such happiness turned on its head by the wicked hand of a hollow… no, she would not let that be a risk.

A day passed, two days. She talked with Masaki, kept her company. She was exhausted, naturally, but Erza had never seen her happier. Her baby was a lively sort, with a small mop of orange hair- an unusual colour here in Japan. She had named him "Ichigo", an unusual name too.  
Then, on the third day, it happened. In the evening, she felt a tremor across the spiritual particles of the town- it was a rift opening, a portal from Hueco Mundo. At first she thought it was just a normal hollow, and remained where she was, just outside Masaki's room. There were quincies in this town; let them handle it- Masaki and her little boy, her Ichigo, were more important.  
But then she felt it, really felt it. It were no ordinary hollow- its reiatsu was thick and strong, emanating from its source with a power she knew was extraordinary. It had to be at least an Adjuchas- and it was coming closer, heading their way. Immediately, Erza grabbed the little pill Urahara had once given her from her pocket, and swallowed it. At once she popped out from the fake body, and drew her swords. It was possible one or two people in the hospital might see her; this place was lousy with spiritually aware humans- but it was the furthest thing from Erza's mind at the moment. Concentrating her hardest, she was keenly aware of her surroundings- exactly where the energy was coming from, what point of entry it might choose… she suppressed her own reiatsu as far as she could- the gigai would have masked it, and the element of surprise was nothing to scoff at. For minutes that felt like hours, she stood there, sword at the ready, waiting for the smallest hint that it might come at her.

Then she saw it down the hall. As if in slow motion, she saw two bony hands grab hold of a window-side, and in a smooth movement, the shape of a hollow had pulled itself inside, nearly jumping in. It had a triangular head, its mask protruding forward in a pointed edge. Its eyes glowed a menacing yellow, and it had a short tail moving about as if it had a mind of its own, and long, gangly legs and arms with little jagged spikes on them, and it stood no taller than Erza- small for a hollow, which would only mean one thing.

"Vasto Lorde." Erza mumbled to herself. _Shit!_

Carelessly, the creature strode down the hall, and Erza could feel a chill run down her spine. She had fought Halibel many a time, but Halibel had never wanted to kill her- and she had always won, still.  
The hollow saw her, and walked forward slowly. Its feet were three-toed, and its fingers looked like a collection of thin, sharp knives when they moved. Up close it looked spider-like, like an insect given the shape of a man. It stopped a few meters before her, as if it had only noticed her just now.

"Ah." It said, its voice smooth and menacing. "Bright red hair. Ample bosoms. A shinigami's uniform. A fierce and steely expression. I believe you are known to me… Erza Scarlet." He let out a low, slow chuckle. "The one who saw Lord Aizen's glory and rejected it. How interesting that you should be here, barring my way. I am Aguerra Mantisse."  
He bowed deeply, holding one thin arm across his chest.

"Vasto Lorde!" Erza snarled. "What brings you here?"

"Need you ask?" Aguerra said. "Naturally, I come for the child in the room behind you. A shinigami/quincy hybrid? The potential as a research subject, I am told, is immense."

"Over my dead body." Erza said fiercely.

"That can be arranged." Aguerra said, taking a step forward, raising an arm.

"One thing, though," Erza said, her blade wordlessly shifting into its shikai state, ready to shift shape at any moment,

"Yes?" Aguerra said, seeming less than concerned, as if she was some simple obstacle to move past without much trouble.

"Aizen respected my strength," Erza said, her sword held high and her eyes peeled on the hollow, checking for any shift in movement, any sign that it would attack, "and as such, I will not be killed easily. If we both let loose, then chances are that this whole building might get razed. You don't give a damn about human lives, I'm sure, but I don't think you will want to risk your prize being injured or even killed by accident."

Aguerra nodded slowly and thoughtfully. "A persuasive argument," he said, every word spoken slowly and with deliberation. "Very well, then. Let us go elsewhere."  
In a flash, he sped off, out the hallway and through the window in the blink of an eye. Quickly, Erza followed suit, slipping into a shunpo. Damn it all! This would not be easy, not by any means- that was a _Vasto Lorde_, a hollow of the highest order… she might die fighting it. Aizen must have wanted this prize- Ichigo- badly. Masaki and he were sleeping so peacefully… and she would not let them be woken by a monster like that, not for as long as she drew breath.

After a mile or so, the monster stopped, standing in the ground, its arms raised in a mocking gesture, telling her to come at it. Erza landed in front of it- but refusing to face it on the ground, she jumped far up in the air, where she stayed. Shrugging, Aguerra followed suit, standing level with her a good fifty meters above the ground.

"Far, far off where you will hurt no human, even if you die." He said, his tone mostly apathetic, but also a little amused. "This strange weakness, I will never understand."

"I don't think you will, no." Erza said, scowling. "But I'm not here to talk. Give me your worst, you wretched beast, and I will throw it back at you tenfold."

"Ah, such harsh words, and with true determination behind them, too." Aguerra said, and he opened his mouth, revealing triple rows of pointed teeth. "I can see why Lord Aizen respected you."  
In an instant, he shot forward, faster than even Erza's eyes could follow. By instinct alone, she caught his sharp, bony fingers on one hand with her blade, but the other hand slid past her guard, stabbing right into her gut. She spat blood, and let out a wheezing cough.

"Disappointing." Aguerra said, twisting the knife-like fingers he had buried in her gut.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Erza growled, almost screamed, and kicked the beast in the chest, sending him back. She limped, forcing herself to stay upright, as Tetsu no Tama shifted into two blades. It hurt- _damn_ he had been fast! But she had hurt worse and still kept going- she was a shinigami, and she could take it.  
Letting out a lout battle cry, she leaped forward, spinning around, furiously lashing out at Aguerra. She cut, slashed, moving her arms with all the speed she was capable of, turning into a whirlwind of deadly force that no ordinary hollow could have stood against. But Aguerra was no ordinary hollow- he was Vasto Lorde, and parried her every strike, catching each one neatly, every blow glancing off his bony hands.

"Valiant effort, but boring," he said, catching her two blades with one arm, and readied the other for a stabbing motion. Erza dodged under the attack, and in an instant her blades changed into one, the black greatsword Render. Roaring out again, she struck forward, cleaving downwards at the hollow. Effortlessly, he caught it with both arms crossed, although Erza could see a splinter of bone dropping to the ground.

"Still dull," he said, sounding unimpressed.

"DRAGON STRIKE!" Erza roared, and the energy charged through her blade, hitting Aguerra point blank. Exploding with thunderous force, it sent him flying, down toward the ground. It did not last, however- within seconds he had recovered, and willed himself up, toward her at furious speed. But there was a scar across his chest, cut right into his bony body… he was not invincible, not by any means.

"Better!" Aguerra cried, finally sounding less than bored. "Better, shinigami- but not nearly enough!"  
He launched himself at her, arms spread and ready to unleash a cyclone of knives upon her. Time slowed; she had less than a second to react, but still everything felt perfectly clear. Her weapon had shifted into Breaker, the bearded axe, and like a batter facing a ball, she raised it and swiped at the hollow, just as he came at her. It came down with tremendous force- but Aguerra was not so simply beaten, and caught the hilt of her ace before it could connect with one arm, and stabbed out with his free hand. Erza ducked, bending herself backward, and immediately let her weapons shift form again, again becoming the twin swords. Working on pure instinct, she parried strike after strike, each second counting at least a dozen attacks. Halibel's training had served her well- her senses were sharp and her body fit, but even so she only barely avoided being cut. Taking the offensive, the hollow drove her back, attacking with relentless, vicious speed, his movements a complete blur. It was only a question of time- she had to get away, break off and-  
But then he finally slid through her guard. Her blades had gone high for a split second, and with his long, bony fingers he caught them both with one hand, twisted them down and away, and slashed her with his free hand, cutting straight across her chest. She didn't even have time to gasp with pain; she had to just barely parry a strike aimed at her neck. Aguerra spun around, lashing out with his tail, sending her flying. Erza landed on her feet, panting.

"Not nearly enough." Aguerra said contemptuously. "Lord Aizen shall reward me when I bring him your head."

Erza was breathing heavily. She had been stabbed in five places, and now cut- her uniform was torn in several places, and blood was gushing from the cuts under her shihakusho. It had been shallow, lucky enough, but he was fast- not so fast she couldn't fight him, but just enough so that she couldn't keep up. If this went on, he'd score one hit after the other, until she bled out…

"Do you think I am done, monster?" Erza said, letting her reiatsu rise.

"There is fight in you yet." He remarked. "No, I suspect you are not. Had I the time, I would play with you for quite a while- see what exactly makes you scream. Peel off your skin, cut off a finger at a time, watch you try and fight without arms, without legs…" He let out a dry laugh, one that could almost have been mistaken for a cough. "Fortunately for you, Lord Aizen's trust means more. I will finish this, then gain his favour. That child shall become his greatest soldier- I only regret you will not live to feel the pain of seeing that happen."

Erza's reiatsu was spiking, at the highest output she could let out.  
"I'll die before that happens." She growled. "But I'd rather you died first."

"Power will not help you." Aguerra said bemusedly, flexing his claws. "Is this some last, mad dash? A singular assault with everything on the line? It will not help you- I am faster and stronger than you."

"I told you," Erza growled, her voice turning to a roar as she spoke, "you haven't seen anything yet! BANKAI!"

* * *

_"Patience, master." Said Tetsu no Tama. The two of them were sitting cross legged, outside the palace, beneath the tree she had once climbed up to. For years now, she had done all he asked- stayed true to herself, mastered her own power, learned his personality… she was on the cusp of unlocking that last piece, of finally gaining the greatest power of them all. The years she had spent in exile had not been in vain._

"I have shown nothing but patience." Erza said calmly. Any sign of frustration or irritation would upset her blade's spirit, she knew- he would take it as a sign of immaturity and weakness. "I will sit here for an eternity, if I must."

"So you will." The spirit said, nodding. "Tell me, Erza, what is my second name?"

"Tell me yourself." Erza said. It was much subtler than it seemed- she said it not out of demand, but to get a rise out of him, make him be the one to lose control. He knew it, she knew it; it was a game they had played for some time now.

"You know my name, in your heart," said Tetsu no Tama. "Deep down, it has always been there, buried like an old memory. All you have to do is find it. But for all your efforts, you have not. Are you not a failure, my weak and cowardly master?"  
Another poke, without any genuine sentiment of spite or resentment.

"Failure is surrender. Victory lies not in overwhelming force, but in the ability to be beaten down a hundred times, and get up on one's feet a hundred and one times."

"So say the beaten cowards." Tetsu no Tama said calmly. "But perhaps I say that only those with pure strength are worthy."

"Then you lie." Erza said. Word games- out of all the trials left, word games was what he had chosen- frustrating like nothing else, yet essential. He had tested her strength; now he tested her wisdom.

"I do?" Tetsu no Tama said. His voice, always so quick to taking offense in the past, was calm and level.

"You are power." Erza said. "And you know there is more substance to your being than raw strength. You know full well that power is not just strength of arm, but knowing how and when to use it."

"Not incorrect," he said, "but are you speaking your heart's belief, or merely parroting what you expect I shall want to hear?"

"You once told me," Erza said, refusing to address his provocation, "that I should stop expecting reality to suit my ideals."

"You were most foolish and naïve, yes," the spirit said casually. "You may still be."

"At the time, I thought you meant that I should be less idealistic. That I should compromise on my beliefs, let go on them for the sake of pragmatism. That you wished for me to be a cynic."

"As I said: naïve and short-sighted."

"Always you spoke in riddles, expecting me to find out myself. You have been a harsh taskmaster."

"As I should be."

"But I know now what you meant, Tetsu no Tama." She looked him in the eye, confidence in her voice.

"I am all ears." He said, sounding quietly sarcastic.

"Lofty ideals may sound good and well," Erza said, laying out her explanation slowly and cautiously, "after all, who does not believe in justice, in kindness, in mercy and charity?"

"More than a few, but continue," Tetsu no Tama said.

"These are all worthy ideals," Erza said, her heart rushing as she felt it, her spirit melding with his, their souls feeling as one, "but if they cannot be applied to reality, what good are they? What is the point of believing in justice and kindness, if you cannot use it to protect those who need it? Reality is difficult, and what is and is not just may change from one time to the next. It is not an absolute idea, and thinking it is was folly. But that does not mean there is no such thing as justice- only that its existence looks different than I thought. When you said that… you meant for me to be practical. That should I want to protect the weak, then I must do so without getting lost in simple ideas of right and wrong- that I must think on what these actually mean before acting. But above all, I must act."

Tetsu no Tama simply nodded, and motioned for her to continue. Feeling a little unsure, Erza said,

"You never wanted me to let go of these ideas, because they are part of who I am- and you always wanted me to be true to myself. You… wanted me to be more than just a person with ideas. You wanted me to be everything I could be- and you didn't mean just in terms of being able to lift a sword."

"Is that all?" Tetsu no Tama said mockingly.

Erza's hand shot out, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him in close.  
"I am Erza Scarlet, raised a mage by Fairy Tail." She said loudly and clearly. "I have never forgot what that meant. What is right and what is wrong might change, and I may have to make difficult decisions- ones that lead to big mistakes. I may have to compromise. But no matter what happens, no matter where I go, I will always be a Fairy Tail mage at heart- I may have lost every friend I had there, and I may never get them back, but they live in my memories and my heart, and I will never forget for what they stand. No matter what I may have to do, I will never go against their creed- to do good, to help others, to suffer no injustice. I will not change this, not for the Gotei, not for Aizen Sousuke, and not for you either! And if that does not suit you, then you can go to hell!"

Softly, Tetsu no Tama held her wrist, and gently removed it from her collar, taking her hand in both of his, and looked her in the eye with a small smile on his face.  
"And so, my master, you know my name."

"…I do." Erza said breathlessly. "It is…"

* * *

"TETSUKEN YOSEITAMA!" Erza roared, her voice carrying across the sky, booming like thunder as her reiatsu climaxed, discharging in a flash of light. Aguerra held an arm over his eyes, temporarily blinded. When he looked back up, he saw his enemy stare down at him furiously, her eyes cold and confident.  
Gone were the black robes of a shinigami; instead she was clothed in metal, a grand and finely detailed suit of plate mail covering everything but her head. Her chest, her arms and hands, her thigs, her feet, all were covered in dull grey plate. Power radiated from her, in calm, strong pulses, and in her hand was the great, tall axe from before.

"Bankai?" Aguerra sneered. "What sort of petty showing is this? I do not fear it, shinigami!"

"You will." Erza said calmly, and took a stance, readying herself to charge. This was the steel blade, the fairy soul, the armour she had once worn, reflected through her very soul, once a magic technique and now her bankai.

"Talk is cheap!" Aguerra hissed, leaping forward. Erza met his charge, moving forward in a flash. She was still hurt, bleeding, and this bankai, young as it was, drained her power quick- it was heavy to wear, and she had a long way to go before it was mastered. But it would be enough.  
Clashing mid-air, Aguerra closed the distance lightning fast, cutting at her with his knife-like hands. But the once-lethal blades clattered harmlessly against the spirit-steel, and Erza let out a loud roar as she brought the axe down, cutting straight and hard into Aguerra's shoulder. The axe's edge buried itself in the hollow's flesh, cracking its hard shell with ease, and it screamed and hissed as it jumped back.

"You think this will help you?" Aguerra screeched, and Erza noticed the bleeding had stopped- not unsurprisingly, he had some measure of regeneration.  
"If you make a turtle of yourself, then I shall pick away at you, you base shinigami filth!" He sneered. "Do not think I cannot read you- your move slower now! Your bankai is not power, only a trade!"

"I told you, Aguerra," Erza said, and her armour began to glow, "you haven't seen anything yet. Requip: Heaven's wheel!"  
The armour shifted in an instant, into a light plate, hanging like scales over her body, great metal wings forming behind her back. It covered her from tip to toe, like the armour before, but it was lighter, and fit more loosely. At a thought's command, her weapon shifted again, becoming the twin swords. In the blink of an eye, she charged forward, cutting at the hollow with blinding speed. Now, the situation was reversed- just barely Aguerra kept up, as Erza methodically landed blow after blow, hammering each hit home like a sledgehammer, driving the hollow back one step after another. Snarling with frustration, Aguerra tried catching her swords with one hand to strike her, just as before- but he had only a split second, and his cut left but a scratch on Erza's chest. Mercilessly, Erza struck back, cutting the fingers off his hand with both her swords, immediately following up by a wide swing. Staggered, Aguerra caught one blade- but the other surged forward, and cut right through his arm. Erza looked him in the eye with contemptuous determination, and with a single movement, she twisted the sword and cut his arm off.

Once again, Aguerra shrieked, and leaped back.  
"You think I have not lived through worse?!" He cried. "You think I became Vasto Lorde without winning impossible fights? I will regrow that arm- but not before I feast on your innards, YOU SIMPLE, IGNORANT SHINIGAMI BITCH!"

"You learn all sorts of things, living in the world of the living," Erza said coldly. "Like dogs. Humans love them. They make great pets. But the thing about dogs is, the smaller and weaker they are, the louder they bark. You didn't talk very much before, did you, Aguerra Mantisse?"

"ARROGANT CUNT!" The hollow roared, and charged forward wildly. Reading his movement expertly, Erza let her weapons phase out, grabbed him by the wrist, pulled him down forcefully, and kicked him in the back- hard. Aguerra let out a small sound, rather sounding like 'ack', and went tumbling down, crashing into the ground. A small crater formed, she saw as the dust settled down. Slowly, Erza descended after him.  
Not beaten yet, the hollow was already on his feet, flexing his claws. The stump on his arm had already begun to grow, and he had power still- if he calmed down, this could be dangerous. Again, her armour glowed…

"Requip: Flame Empress." Erza said simply, and again the armour changed. The plate, now, was a simple and sleek black, covered in red, gold and orange, as if she were on fire. Draped around her shoulders were a cape, black on the inside and a fiery red on the outside.  
"Render." She said, and the black greatsword formed in her hand once more, whole and terrifying. At her will, it caught fire, burning like a small conflagration in her hand, down the entire length of the blade. Calmly, she waited for Aguerra to get ready.

"You should have killed me already, if you could," it said, growling out the words. "You shinigami are so pathetic- honour, is that what you call it? We call it weakness."

"Tier Halibel calls it luxury." Erza said coolly, and she noticed him flinch a little at the mention of the name. "And you are not nearly as dangerous as she is. But at any rate, I do not need to be ruthless to defeat you."  
It was a bit of tough talk, in the hopes of perhaps goading him. Luckily, it seemed to work.

"For my master Aizen!" Aguerra cried, charging forward, his one good arm cutting forward in a surgically precise strike. But Erza was ready for him, and caught the strike with her blade held high, redirecting it to swing wide. Quickly, she stepped forward, and kicked the hollow in the chest, knocking him off his feet, sending him tumbling a good few yards. Before he could recover, she leaped forward, and ran Breaker through his chest, pinning him to the ground like some grotesque insect under a needle. He squirmed and shrieked, his hand grasping at her blade, his body convulsing desperately.

"It cannot be!" He screamed. "You- you are petty and weak! Unworthy of Lord Aizen's cause! How- how could you possibly defeat me?"

"You succumbed to the luxury of arrogance." Erza said. "When you are sure you can win, that is when you can fall hard and far. For you, it is over."

"Arrogant? ARROGANT?!" Aguerra roared. "I am Vasto Lorde! I stand at the top of all hollows! I am a favoured servant of Lord Aizen! I deserve-"

"Burn." Erza said, and let her reiatsu pour into the blade, fanning the flames. They grew and grew, and within seconds they had enveloped the monster's body, eating through his bony body and flesh rapidly. The monster screamed and squirmed, desperately trying to claw itself free, but within a minute it had been reduced to ash. With one last scream, fading into nothingness, it was purged and purified. Erza looked around- aside from this crater by the roadside, the place seemed fine. Nobody hurt, no chaos, nobody crying… good.  
She coughed, and staggered, and her bankai slipped away from her. It had consumed a considerable chunk of her reiatsu; she had to force herself to stay upright. She had unlocked the ultimate power, but damn it was unruly and vicious… she let Breaker fade away, too, and sealed her zanpakutou, sheathing it.

A Vasto Lorde. Her bankai, her power, it had allowed her to defeat a Vasto Lorde. One not nearly as powerful as Halibel, but still…  
Halibel. Her too, she missed- she wondered what she must think of her now.

Then it struck her. Aizen. Aizen was a clever, conniving bastard, and there was no way that if he really wanted his prize, he would never rely on just a single piece on the board to get it. This… what if this was just a decoy? No, oh please no…  
Quickly, forcing herself to speed away into a shunpo despite the pain and weariness, she ran, heading directly for the hospital.

* * *

Kreel was not much, as far as Menos went. He was small in stature, the shell on his back making him look like little more than a man-sized beetle, not helped by the single horn on his mask. He had just barely made adjuchas, surviving through the vicious process by the skin of his yellowing teeth, but he had come out small and weak. But he was a survivor, mainly because he had a knack for sneaking. Lord Aizen had seen this underhandedness for what it was- a strength, the same as any, and had sent him to the world of the living. Clever plan, yes-yes- big Aguerra and his claws would distract the nasty shinigami, and Kreel, small and vicious Kreel, would pluck the prize and bring it to Lord Aizen. He would be rewarded, noticed, favoured… maybe even made arrancar, once the time was right. He would ingratiate himself to an espada, become a servant, live well and safe…  
He nearly lost himself in fantasies of triumph as he approached the chamber where the young one he sought was held. He had long since forgot what it was like, being human, and now it seemed such a pitiful affair- born small, weak and helpless, dependent on their flesh-incubators for decades… weak. Weaker than him. He could crush any of these people-seeds easily, and the thought of it filled him with glee.

No distractions, he decided. He was to be rewarded, and taking risks was bad- avoiding risks was what had let him live so long. He carefully trod through the hall, avoiding the frail little humans in his path. He had the scent now, yes- a strong reiatsu, unlike the weak souls around it. His mouth watered, with so many souls so close and so easy to take- but no, Kreel had come here for one thing only. Carefully, he moved inside the room where the scent came from. A human female, sleeping there, a people-seed lying on her chest. Cautiously, he reached out with one hand. Lord Aizen had been very specific- he was not to harm the little one in any way. If he did, he would regret it. The threat had been unspoken, and Kreel preferred it that way- he did not want to imagine what it was like being on the master's bad side. He reached out, his stubby fingers just inches away-

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Kreel flinched, nearly tripping over himself, as he stumbled away from the bed. The voice was cold, in control, and came from the door- there stood a human, with grey hair and little glass things over his eyes, looking right at him.  
"You- you see me?!" Kreel nearly shrieked, keeping his voice quiet. Humans weren't supposed to see you. They weren't supposed to know you were coming.  
"Stay back! I will cut you open- eat your guts!" He snarled. It was just a human, after all. It had a bit of spirit to it, many humans in this town did- but it was just a human, and Kreel was not afraid of humans. He nearly felt ashamed, to have been startled by such a pitiful creature.

"Standing over my cousin's bed, a literal cradle-robber," The human said with distaste. "You are lucky I value her sleep, beast."

Kreel turned around, and raised his hands. Just the one human, asking for it… surely, the master would not hold _that_ against him. Hissing, he took a step forward.  
The human raised his arm, and Kreel saw something dangle from its wrist. In an instant, a bow took form in its hand, and with its free hand, the human strung it, an arrow taking shape on it. Suddenly, Kreel could feel it, spiritual energy and lots of it.

"Go away!" He snarled. "This does not concern you, human- go, go!"

"Die." The human said, and let loose an arrow. It hit Kreel in the chest, with tremendous force, and he staggered back, putting a crack in the wall behind him as he was forced back. It hurt; Kreel could feel it burn his very being, nasty like no cut he had ever taken before-  
Then the human strung his bow again, and let another arrow loose, cracking straight through his mask. The last thing Kreel felt was pain, as his very being collapsed, turning into dust.

Irritably, Ryuken let his bow disintegrate, and lit a cigarette. There would be questions about how that wall had broken, and it was against the rules to smoke in patients' rooms, too…  
Well, he'd make something up. He always did; he had experience in these things. Karakura Hospital was not in a place to fire doctors anyhow; if there was one thing he could be sure of with this profession, it was that he'd always have a job.  
Quietly, he took another puff, and looked to Masaki and her boy. She looked so… peaceful. His mother positively loathed her for what she had done, running off an marrying a shinigami… which was a sign as sure as any that she was likely doing something right. They didn't talk much- for a second he considered waking her up, but something held him back. She was safe now, anyhow- she didn't need him fussing. She had plenty of people for that…

Putting out his cigarette, he walked back into the hallway. Approaching fast was that red-headed woman, who had sped off to fight that Vasto Lorde- good enough, saved him the trouble. She was running back now, right past him, to Masaki's room.  
Ryuken kept walking. He wasn't anybody's hero, and he hadn't saved her to be thanked.

* * *

**And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, Erza Scarlets Bankai! I do hope you like it.**

**Now, I know that there is a possibility that some people will be a bit...disappointed by it. After all, its nothing more than what she has in cannon right? Well, truth be told, I had ALWAYS planned on this being what her bankai would be, from the very beginning. Why limit her to just ONE armor? I couldn't do it. Thus, I went this route.**

**Some may say that this was lazy, and boring, to that I say...Just when were you under the impression that her bankai was ONLY her cannon armors? I have plenty of original armor ideas that will be used for her bankai. What you've seen so far is merely her achieving it. She is not even CLOSE to mastering her bankai.**

**Now, some of you may also be wondering why its different from the bankai she used against Kenpachi. That, as I believe ive said before, was an INCOMPLETE bankai. Renji himself had one, and Ichigo has had atleast three changes to his (going on 4 now) Hell, Byakuya's has multiple stages, so this really shouldn't be an issue.**

**Now, some of you mght also ask this. "HOW THE HELL DID ERZA BEAT A VASTO LORDE?! THEY ARE STRONGER THAN CAPTAINS!" If you ask me...they arnt. They are EQUAL to captians. Now, when I say this, I'm referring to JUST a vasto lorde, not an ARRANCAR vasto lorde.**

**Keep this in mind, Only 4 of aizens Espada were vasto lorde. 4-1. All of them required some kind of power way beyond that of your average captain to beat. (stark lost to Shunsui, strong enough to be the current capatain commander, ulquiorra only died from Ichigos hollow form, Haribel was beaten easily by Aizen, and Baragan had to have his own hax used against him.)**

**Keep in mind, these are vasto lorde ARRANCAR. Not JUST Vasto lorde. Being an arrancar gives a huge power boost. **

**LAST but not least, the vasto lorde Erza thought, had JUST become one. He is WEAK for a vasto lorde. In other words, you could say he is the equivalent of RADITZ for vasto lorde. Strong? Yes. As strong as Haribel? No.**

**I do hope you all like me adding her to the Masaki house old. This, like the bankai, was planned from the start. Yoruichi wasn't, but I like her, and I can see her and Erza getting along great. **

**I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to leave a review, I GREATLY appreciate it.**


	22. The Fairy queen and the Weaver Princess

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING.**

**Thanks to Greatkingrat88 once again.**

**This, my readers, is a point ive wanted to get to for a while. Ive had this planned prior to chapter 10. Ultimately, this chapter, will bring with it, a change that will make things very interesting. I really, truly do hope that you all enjoy it.**

**With that, have fun.**

* * *

Some time after she had become a shinigami, Erza had come to realize, she had stopped thinking of herself as human. Years passed by in the blink of an eye, it seemed, and living in the human world really highlighted it. Shinigami were, as far as she knew, immortal. The head-captain was rumoured to be over a thousand years old, and had never seemed weak for it. It was downright bizarre, then, to see how quickly humans passed through eternity, and even more bizarre to think that she herself had once been part of this cycle.  
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Ichigo had turned five, and Masaki had given birth to twins. Between work at the dojo, training with Yoruichi- who fought just like Soifon, who had more or less trounced Erza the one and only time they had clashed, making for challenging exercise- and spending whatever free time she had at the apartment, helping Masaki and Isshin make dinner, or look after Ichigo, or whatever needed doing… between all of those things, a week was like a moment, and a month like a minute. She had become like an older sister, or even a secondary parent- and though the apartment felt quite a bit smaller with children running around in it, Masaki and Isshin both were grateful for the help. Children were a handful and a half.  
It was special, however quickly it seemed to pass, watching Ichigo grow up. Watching him take his first steps, say his first words, hearing a bright-eyed two year old say her name… it moved her deeply, in ways she didn't really know how to articulate. She wasn't sure she was the best of role models, but she tried- through unexpected and painful circumstances, she was now part of this family. She was auntie Erza, Ichigo's favourite playmate- well, after a raggedy teddy bear, that was.

Children were a handful, that was one thing she had learned. The twins, Yuzu and Karin, were good little children- they didn't cry much, and were mostly content, but even then it made them all exhausted, looking after the three of them. Ichigo was a seemingly unending source of energy, always finding ways to run around, or hide, or make little noises everywhere, never really getting tired. Which was why, this Saturday night, Erza was beginning to think she was in over her head. Masaki and Isshin were out, finally having found some time to themselves, and Erza had promised to look after them. The twins were sleeping like little angels already, but Ichigo… was not. She was supposed to do fun, simple things- read him a story, maybe watch some cartoons on the crummy TV they had, perhaps attempt baking cookies (and probably burn them in the process, but it was the thought that counted), but she had failed to anticipate the sheer mayhem small children were capable of.  
Almost dying, that she could handle. Constant mortal danger, that she could handle. Learning kido, and mastering her reiatsu, that had been difficult. Earning a bankai, that had been hard. But all of these things were direct, easy to handle… and not nearly as intimidating as a laughing, energetic five year old high on sugar.

"Ichigo, get back here!" She cried, half running after the little kid. He had climbed up on a table, and was standing on it, laughing at the look on her face. He fell over, and Erza was just able to catch him before he fell down to the floor. He looked up at her, a big grin on his face.  
Erza sighed. "You're a troublemaker, you know that?"

"Yup!" Ichigo said proudly, nodding and somehow slipping from her grip, down to the floor.

"All right, young man, why don't we put you to bed?" Erza said, knowing the moment that she said it that she should have demanded, not suggested. Kids didn't listen to suggestions, because kids were… kids.

"Nuh uh!" Ichigo said defiantly. "I wanna stay up late, I wanna play! I wanna go outside!"

"If you stay up too late, you won't be able to get up in the morning." Erza said. Why was she even trying to reason with him?

"No I won't!" Ichigo said, a habitual contrarian at this young age. "I can stay up waaay late and get up really early if I want to!"

"You say that now, but we have to drag you out of bed practically kicking and screaming every morning, don't we?" Erza said.

"I don't scream." Ichigo said. "Mommy's a meanie when she tries to wake me up like that. You're not a meanie, auntie Erza. Right?"  
He blinked, and shot her some of the most adorable puppy-dog eyes she could imagine. It was hard to resist, but she knew at this point that the kid knew how to do that intentionally, and knew what effect it could have. Children, nature's instinctual manipulative bastards…

"Oh, I'm a lot meaner than you think." Erza said. "Not if you're a good boy, but I'll be mean if I have to."

"No you won't!" Ichigo said, sticking out his tongue. "You're too nice, auntie."  
It was true; Masaki and Isshin were the real parents, and as such had to be firm with him. When he was angry about it, he'd come to her…

"I've done some very bad things." Erza said firmly. "I'm not always nice. But if you brush your teeth and go to bed like a good boy, I'll tell you a fun story about monsters before you go to sleep."

Ichigo looked up, then down, then looked her in the eye, seeming to contemplate her offer, weighing his options.  
"Are they really nasty monsters?" He said hopefully.

"With huge, huge teeth and big mouths they use to eat people right up." Erza said. The thing about children, hyper as they were, they had their weaknesses. Like monsters, kids _loved_ monsters, mainly because they had no idea what real monsters were. Still, if it kept him calm…

"…can I have a cookie first?" Ichigo said. It was against the rules, but still…

"Just the one, okay?" Erza said.

"Okay!" Ichigo said happily, and ran out into the kitchen. Erza followed him; by the time she caught up- just seconds, mind- he had managed to find the jar, open it, and eat two, already grabbing for a third.

"That's enough." Erza said, in what she hoped was a firm enough tone- she was never sure what was too harsh with kids. Gently, she grabbed his hand, and made him drop the cookie, putting it back in the jar.  
"Chew it all up, then go brush your teeth. Understood?"

"Fine, auntie…" Ichigo grumbled, sourly and slowly making his way to the bathroom. Again, Erza followed- it seemed a bad idea to leave him unsupervised for a second.

_Finally_ getting the little sugar monster into bed, Erza breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, he wouldn't be satisfied without a story…  
Dragging it out a little, Erza carefully tucked him in, sitting by his bedside.

"Now tell me a story!" He demanded, jerking around in bed. "I've been good, so tell me a story!"

"That's debatable." Erza muttered.

"De-bay-wha?"

"Never mind." Erza said, and sighed. "All right, a story…"

"With big, big scary monsters!" Ichigo insisted.

It suddenly struck Erza that she had many talents, and making up stories wasn't one of them. Um, maybe tell him about a happy little pony who lived in a- no, that wasn't exactly monster material. Maybe one about a dwarf, or a… damn it all, what could she say?  
"Well, come on!" Ichigo said impatiently. "Pleeeeease?"

"…all right." Erza said. Without really thinking, she began,  
"Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a warrior princess. Her name was Crimson, and she had a very big club that she just_smacked_ people with-" Ichigo giggled, as Erza emphasized the word, "-and her hair was red, red as fire. Princess Crimson was a strong warrior, and she had to be, because there were monsters aaall around the land."

"Big and scary ones?" Ichigo asked cheerily.

"As big as a house," Erza said, and nodded, "bigger than a dinosaur, even. They had huge, huge teeth, with little saw blades that they used to maim people with, and big, big mouths that they swallowed people whole with. They had terrible white faces, and claws as big as swords."

Ichigo squealed with delight- big, monstrous claws struck a chord with the boy.

"But Princess Crimson was not afraid." Erza continued. "She would stand up to them, every time they came, and beat them very hard with her club."

"Did they die?" Ichigo said.

"Every time," Erza said, nodding. "She would hit them over the head, and knock their heads right off. There was blood… _everywhere!_"

Ichigo laughed with delight. "More!" He insisted.

Erza nodded. "For a very long time, Princess Crimson protected the people in her village. But then, one day the king of the land heard of her. He heard how beautiful and strong she was, and sent his men to come find her, so that she could become a knight, protecting the land."

"What's a king?" Ichigo said, sounding a little sleepier.

"It's a man who is in charge of a whole nation," Erza explained. "He can tell anyone to do anything, because he has all the power. Back in the old days, every country had a king- or a queen- to tell them what to do."

"Uh huh," Ichigo said.

"So, at first, Princess Crimson refused to leave her village. But the king's men begged her to come, and said she could help many more people if she became a knight under the king. Eventually, the princess gave in, and travelled to the king's great city. But she didn't know what awaited her there…"

"Was it a monster?" Ichigo said, his mind being somewhat on a single track.

"Not a monster, no," Erza said. "At least… not one with claws." She stopped herself, and took a breath. This was her story. Should she really…?  
"Of course, she had many adventures on her way there," she said. "Do you want to hear about the dragon she had to fight on her way there? It was a large and dark beast, with scales and big teeth…"

"Yes," Ichigo said, nodding quietly. "How big was it?"

"Like five houses put on top of each other," Erza assured him. "But Princess Crimson was not afraid. With a sword that the king's men gave her, she found the monster's lair, and walked right up to it…"  
Erza went on for maybe fifteen minutes, improvising a story about monster-slaying, drawn mostly from her own experience- and before she knew it, little Ichigo was asleep. Well, that… seemed to work well enough.  
She smiled to herself, as she quietly and carefully stood up, walked out of the room, and closed the door. Taking care of children was not her strength. It was hard, frustrating, even infuriating… yet somehow, it was a pain she wouldn't trade for anything.

* * *

Time really did pass like it was nothing. Before she knew it, Ichigo was seven, and attending class. Isshin was working his way through med school, Masaki was keeping a part time job, and they were all doing well. With two parents, one working and the other in school, it often fell to Erza to pick Ichigo up from school, a chore she was glad to do. She'd walk him home, and listen to his excited chatter about his classmates, about what they were learning, about everything. Mostly, she would just keep quiet, and let Ichigo do the talking, something that seemed to suit him perfectly well. He got attention for his unusual hair, and Erza was resolved to keep an eye out for signs of bullying- that was not something she would tolerate.  
Day after day ran past her, and despite her friends never leaving her thoughts entirely, somehow this was one of the happiest time periods in her life. She worked, she trained, she looked after Ichigo and the twins, she helped Isshin and Masaki… exile had turned out much better than she had thought.

One day, though, as she got ready to pick up Ichigo, she noticed something that stood out. It was nothing extraordinary- just a small girl, ginger like Ichigo, looking… alone. There was a crowd of students all around her, but nobody seemed to notice her. It was oddly sad.  
Sad went to infuriating, when she was three, four girls walk up to the ginger, pulling her hair, mocking her, doing mean little sing-songs. Erza looked around- the teachers weren't far off, surely one of them would act? She wanted to step forward, but it wasn't her business… come on, somebody _had_ to help her, right?

A minute or so passed, and the ginger girl looked miserable, on the edge of crying, trying to get herself away- but the other girls got in her way, continuing their childish torment. Something snapped inside Erza, and she marched forward in large, fast strides, right through the swarm of children exiting the school.  
"HEY!" She said, as she got closer. "HEY! YOU!"

They didn't seem to notice her, still pulling at the girl's hair. Like a fury, Erza strode up, and grabbed the wrist of the closest bully.  
"I said, HEY!" Erza said angrily.

"Wh-what?" Said the little girl she had grabbed, turning around to face Erza. Without even thinking, Erza raised her hand, and slapped her. She had enough sense to not hit too hard, but out of surprise, the girl fell over, and started to cry.

"Shame on you!" Erza said angrily. "And shame on you two, too! Picking on her like that- I ought to teach you all a lesson!"  
She was not about to start hitting small children, of course- she had more restraint than that. But they didn't know that, and she wasn't about to let them know. Afraid, the three of them ran away. Erza turned to the little ginger girl, and kneeled down in front of her. She was crying, and if Erza had been a little calmer, she might have panicked a little- she had learned her way around children with Ichigo, but comforting them when they cried was still… difficult. As it was now, adrenaline coursing through her, she put an arm on the girl's shoulder and said,  
"Hey, are you okay?"

The girl sobbed, but nodded.

"They're gone now. You're safe." Erza said, keeping her voice calm and friendly.

"Uh-huh," the girl said, red in the face, still crying.

"I'm Erza." Erza said, trying to distract her. "What's your name?"

"O-Orihime," the girl said, sniffing.

"Well, Orihime," Erza said, digging a handkerchief from her pocket, "you should dry those tears. You'll be fine."

Orihime nodded, and hesitantly took the handkerchief.

"Do they pick on you a lot?" Erza asked. Orihime just nodded, looking like she might burst into tears. Erza sighed, feeling the anger return. Children, sometimes wonderful, sometimes little monsters…  
"Well, where's your mommy?" She asked.

"Don' have one," Orihime said, and sniffed. "Big brother looks after me."

Erza felt her heart swell with sympathy. No parents at this young age? She knew how that felt- and with how she helped look after Ichigo, knowing what that meant, she felt an enormous pity for a child having to grow up without it.  
"Well, where is he?" She asked.

"I gotta wait for him," Orihime said. "He works a lot, so he gets late."

"How late?" Erza asked.

"Mebbe an hour," Orihime said, sounding a little better. "You're funny, lady."

"Why is that?" Erza asked.

"Nobody helps," Orihime said, "but you did it anyway."

"Of course I did." Erza said. "It's only right."

Orihime nodded quietly. "Well, um…"

"We'll wait for your brother." Erza said resolutely. "I'll keep an eye out for these bullies."

"Hey, Erza!" It was Ichigo, having found her as the kids streamed out. "We learned to paint a tiger today! It's really big, and it's got these black stripes! My teacher says it's so he can hide in the jungle, but how can he do that when he's orange?" He said cheerily.

"That's nice, Ichigo," Erza said distractedly. "Listen, we're going to wait here for a while, do you understand?"

"Why?" Ichigo said. "I wanna go home now! I'm hungry!"

"Orihime needs somebody to wait with her, so we'll wait." Erza said simply.

"Who cares about her?" Ichigo said dismissively. "I wanna tell you about the stuff we learned-"

"We wait." Erza said, in a tone that brooked no disagreement.

"But why?" Ichigo protested.

"Y-you don't have to…" Orihime said quietly.

"Yes, I do." Erza said firmly. "Ichigo, you can still tell me about your tigers, but we'll wait here. Is that clear?"

"You're no fun." Ichigo said sullenly.

"Well, sometimes I'm no fun. Not a word more out of you, or I'm not telling you a story tonight."

"No fair!" Ichigo grumbled.

"I meant it." Erza said. Pouting, Ichigo went over to a bench nearby, and sat down.

"Come on," Erza said to Orihime, "we'll all wait together. It's no trouble."

Orihime nodded. "O-okay…"

It took no more than five minutes before Ichigo had stopped pouting, and was busy telling them all about tigers.

* * *

The next few days, Erza couldn't help but think of that little girl. Her brother, once he showed up, hadn't seemed bad- a bit harrowed and rather young, leaving with Orihime without saying a word. No parents…  
She was being a busybody. That much was clear to her, as she made her way to their apartment, having stalked after them in shinigami form a couple of days later. But for some reason, she needed to know- that the little girl, Orihime, was all right. That… well, she wasn't sure what she wanted to know. Something wasn't as it should be, and for some reason she cared enough that she wanted to know what it was.

After quickly calling on her gigai, which had followed at a distance, Erza got inside it and walked up to the building where Orihime and her brother had gone. It was a small apartment complex, looking a little shabby, shabby, but not quite run-down. After a quick bit of searching, she found the right door, and rang the bell. After a little while, the brother opened the door, looking tired. His eyes widened a little, seeing her there.

"Big brother?" Erza could hear Orihime from the inside, some noises indicating she was watching TV. "Who is that?"

"Nobody, Orihime," The brother said, raising his voice, "I'll take care of it. You stay where you are."

"O-kay!" Orihime chirped.

"What are you doing here?" He said bluntly. "I mean… I appreciate you helping Orihime out the other day, but…" He shook his head, and shrugged. "It's like I forgot my manners. I'm Inoue Sora."  
He was average in height, looking like he wasn't quite out of his teens yet- too young, probably, to be caring for a child.

"It's fine." Erza said. "Did she tell you what happened before that?"

"No," Sora said, "but I think I can guess."

"She got bullied. And since you can guess, it's not the first time, is it?"

There was something weary in his eyes, as he closed the door behind him, stepping outside the apartment, standing face to face with Erza.  
"No," he said, shaking his head. "She's so… she's such a wonderful, amazing sweet little kid. She's a little different, but she's… she's great." He took a deep breath. "But she has red hair, and that's enough. Fucking kids…"

"Have you not told the teachers?" Erza said strictly. "If you know what's going on-"

"They know." Sora said. "They turn a blind eye unless they are forced to look. Easier to act like there's no problem."

"That- that- that's outrageous!" Erza snarled. "How can you be okay with this?"

Sora shot her a dark look. "Do I look 'okay' with it?"

"You're the one who's supposed to protect her- how can you let this stand? I- somebody should do something, if you can't!" Erza protested angrily.

"You have _no idea_!" Sora snapped. "You have no idea what's actually going on, so don't act so high and mighty! I'm doing the best I can!"

"And if that's not enough?" Erza said coldly. She was probably not fair, but thinking about the little girl crying…

"Then you'll call social services, is that it?" Sora said. "I'm guessing you saw it already- I'm too young to be her legal guardian. But I'm all she's got."

"She said she had no parents." Erza said, not yet denying or confirming the implied threat of calling the authorities.

Sora took a deep breath, looking furious. "She don't." He said, his voice strained with anger, forcibly controlled. "Those two… if they can be called parents, then nothing's right with the world. And if you poke your nose in this, where you have no business, then it's all the worse for her!"

"Talk." Erza said. "You said 'those two'. She has parents after all?"

Sora spat at the ground. "Our father is a good for nothing drunk. A selfish piece of shit who never cared about nobody but himself. Our mother… she's a whore. An addict who does… whatever she can for her next fix. Me, I had to look after myself from when I was three years old. When I was little, I used to dream of going to school, getting out of that shit-hole and make a life for myself. Then Orihime came, and…"  
There was something desperate in his voice, a deeply emphatic tone to what he said, and it was clear to Erza that he really loved his sister.  
"She had nobody else to look after her, all right? Our mother never gave a shit about us, and our dad's a violent thug, so… when I was seventeen, I took her and ran. She was just two then. I quit school to get a job so I could support her. I'm just barely getting by, working in a warehouse. I'm lucky my boss even lets me go for an hour to go pick her up. I get up early in the morning, I work all day, I come home late… and she's the only thing that keeps me going. She gets bullied, and I can do jack about it. How do you think that makes me feel? And I can't go to the police, 'cause they'd find out. And if they find us… we go back to our worthless mom and dad." He said bitterly.  
"That's the sick thing. Even working myself to death, even with her being bullied, it's better than the alternative. It's a rotten world. But if you want to make it worse, you can just go ahead!"

Erza looked at him, feeling a little shocked. This was not what she had expected. She was not exactly a human lie detector, but the anger and hurt in Sora's face, in his voice, were plain to see- if he were lying, then he was a good liar. She had judged him, not knowing what things really were…  
She had never expected this.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, feeling her righteous anger crumbling like a house of cards. "I- I'm not going to call anybody. I just… wanted to know."

Sora said nothing, taking a few breaths, and nodded.

"…I meddle a lot." Erza confessed. "But seeing her be bullied like that, I couldn't…"

"You did right." Sora said. He ran his fingers through his hair, looking torn. "It's not right, and… it's not bad to care. You didn't know."

"I'll wait with her." Erza offered. "Every day. Until you show up."

"…you don't have to." Sora mumbled.

"Yes, I do." Erza said. "I know it's not my place, but… if I don't butt in, they might do it again. I know I can stop it. So I will."

"…all right then." He said, sighing. "Who are you again?"

"Erza Scarlet." Erza said. "I live with the parents of one of the kids at school. I teach kendo."

He nodded. "Okay then, I guess." He turned around, opened the door, and walked back inside.  
"See ya," he said awkwardly. Erza made herself smile, and Sora closed the door behind him.

* * *

She did wait, every day. Every day, for four years, she waited, whether she was supposed to pick up Ichigo or not. Sometimes she wondered why- she couldn't save all the bullied children; she'd never have any time free and she'd still not be able to do enough.  
The answer was always obvious. For as long as she was there, Orihime was safe. One child saved was one child saved. One person helped was always better than none.

A lot of things happened in that time. Isshin got his license as a doctor, and a loan to open up his own clinic- one that doubled as a new home for them all. Ichigo grew up to be a happy, energetic kid with a natural knack for karate. Yuzu turned out to be sweet and kind, while Karin was practical and down to earth. And Orihime, she turned out to be just as sweet as Sora had said- kind, compassionate, although sometimes seeming not all there. She had a different view on reality, Erza learned- and a downright bizarre perspective on cuisine. She knew no other children who would think to combine bananas, chocolate, and chili sauce.  
She got to know her, these years, with the hour or so she had each day. Every minute was worth it. Ichigo grew up next to her, and with how many people he had supporting him, she always thought of how little Orihime had by comparison- and how she had the strength to smile and be happy nonetheless. She had heart, of a kind that would have been welcomed in Fairy Tail.

But good things do not last. Sometimes they last a good, long while. Sometimes they last much too short a time. Either way, time flies and the earth keeps on turning.  
Orihime had turned eleven when it happened. Erza had been walking her home, along with one of the few friends she had- Arisawa Tatsuki, a good kid as far as she could tell- listening to Orihime talk. She had had a fight with her brother; nothing too big. Children fight, and somebody with the kind of strain Sora had to endure was bound to be a bit on edge. They would make up, Erza was sure.  
Except they never would. That day, Erza left Orihime, letting her walk the last few blocks home- she had Tatsuki with her, and it was good for a child to learn to do things on their own. Quite peacefully, she walked home, thinking all was well with the world.  
Things continued to be well, until suddenly they got a patient to the clinic. Erza thought nothing of it at first, only noticing when she went down to get a snack. But after an hour or so, she saw the troubled look on Masaki's face, and asked. Somebody had died in the clinic. Erza asked the name, never knowing, never expecting it. With a sad look on her face, Masaki had explained- it was Inoue Sora.  
Erza felt that sinking feeling, one she had almost forgotten. It had been no monster, no murderer- just a careless driver. Human bodies could be so frail, and Sora was no exception. His ribcage had been smashed, his lungs punctured, and he had drowned in his own blood, just an hour ago.

Not even thinking, Erza ran. She had had no particular bond with Sora- he was a good man, but they had never become friends. But Orihime… poor, sweet Orihime, what would she do? Erza ran, ran, and didn't stop until she reached Orihime's apartment.

Tatsuki was already there. Orihime, of course, was inconsolable, a crying, shaking mess. There were barely any words between the three of them, just Erza holding Orihime close, along with Tatsuki. At the time, she had no idea how long she stayed. It turned out to be the entire night, and a good portion of the morning. School and work were out of the question for the time- Erza simply stayed, only stopping to make a call to work.  
She later learned that Orihime had seen the accident, seen her brother lying dying on the street, his blood littering the asphalt… and Erza knew, she knew exactly how Orihime felt right now. She knew how much you needed people to lean on, how weak you truly were on your own. So stayed she did, doing whatever she could to help. Her exact memory of it got lost in a haze of tears, of raw, infectious pain. But eventually, reality caught up, and two days later she had to leave, if only to get a change of clothes and a shower. Masaki didn't question it when she showed up at their front door, looking exhausted. She simply let her in, offering a caring hug.

A shower and a change of clothes later, Erza was cooped up at the couch in the Kurosaki house, sipping from a mug of hot tea. Ichigo had tried to approach her, but Masaki had warded him away- and Erza didn't mind. She was not in a state to do much. Orihime's tragedy had become hers, if only by proxy, and it weighed on her. Finally, after an hour or so, Masaki sat down by her, and gave her a look of sorts, a quietly prodding look. It told her that if she needed to talk, she was right there, and if not, she was still right there.  
Eventually, Erza opened her mouth.

"This world…" She mumbled. "Why do people have to just die like this?"

It was a stupid question, obvious in answer, completely rhetorical, but she could think of nothing else to say.

"It's life." Masaki said, her voice quiet. "I'm sorry, Erza."

"I need to get back to her," Erza said decisively. "She has nobody else, she needs me-"

"Erza, no," Masaki said, her tone managing to be firm, despite how quiet it still was. "You look terrible. You need to sleep. You're close with her, but you need to think of yourself. You are no help to anybody when you fall over from exhaustion."

"I'm fine," Erza protested, but it was a lie- she was exhausted, emotionally if not physically.

"You're not." Masaki said. "Orihime has Tatsuki. You need to rest, and-"

"What will she do now?" Erza said, looking Masaki in the eye. "She has nobody left. Her- her parents, they're not fit, and when the authorities come checking they'll send her back-"  
She choked up, unable to finish the sentence.

Masaki gently rubbed Erza's back.  
"I know you're close, but that's not your responsibility. You're not her mother."

"She needs somebody." Erza said plainly. "I- I put myself into her life like this. I can't do nothing."

"You're not a saviour, Erza," Masaki said, shaking her head. "Some things are out of your control. I know you're very strong, and very loyal, but this isn't the kind of problem you can solve with a sword. Be there for her, all right, but don't let this swallow you up."

"I'm not her mother, you're right." Erza said, nodding.

"Right, so-"

"But I could be the next best thing." Erza said resolutely, putting her tea cup down on the couch table. She felt the sadness slowly washing away, replaced by the calm, steely resolve she always felt in the face of adversity. There was a solution. Of course there was. It was_obvious_.

"What?" Masaki said, blinking.

"I'll take care of her." Erza said. "Somebody has to, and I'm not letting her go back to those good-for-nothings."

"It's not your responsibility, I told you-" Masaki protested, but Erza cut her off.

"I am _making_ it my responsibility." She said firmly.

"Erza… taking care of a child isn't easy." Masaki said, sounding half in disbelief. "Your entire life revolves around them when you do. It has to. Can you really do that? Can you make her lunch every day, pick her up from school, listen to everything she has to say, tell her off when she crosses a line, support her when she needs you… Erza, I'm not saying you can't, but… it's a massive thing to do. It's not something you can do on a whim. It's not like adopting a dog or a cat."

"They let complete idiots parent just because they forgot to use protection." Erza said bluntly. "If people like that can call themselves mom and dad, then I can."

"Children deserve better than complete idiots." Masaki said sharply.

"I know." Erza said. "I know it's big. But I've done big things before. Big things that you'd think were impossible before. Things that took focus, willpower and strength. Things that looked impossible at first glance, but turned out to just be really difficult if you looked close. I died once for a thing like that, and I didn't think twice about it because if I try to do something for the right reasons, I don't let anything hold me back." She looked Masaki in the eye, and let a small, sad smile cross her face. "I can do it, because I _have_ to do it. Because nobody else will."

"You're insane." Masaki said, sounding slightly exasperated. "When she comes to you crying about her first crush, will you know how to help her?"

"I'll ask you for advice." Erza shot back.

"You can make her lunch every day?"

"If I can't, there's always convenience stores."

"And when she gets out of line?" Masaki said skeptically.

"I never tolerate that kind of nonsense." Erza said. "You've seen me with Ichigo. Have you ever been afraid to let me look after him? Or Yuzu, or Karin? Haven't I cared for them time and time again?"

"It's… different." Masaki said, sighing. "Being a full time parent is a lot to handle, Erza, especially when you're on your own. Besides, how do you know you'll even be allowed to adopt her?"

"I know a guy," Erza said, shrugging. "He likes being owed."

"Good lord, you wouldn't…" Masaki grumbled. "But have you thought about asking Orihime if she even wants to?"

For the first time, Masaki's objections gave Erza pause. That… was a factor, yes.  
"I'll ask. In a very nice and gentle way. I'll be convincing." Erza said, not sounding too convincing herself.

"Where will you live?" Masaki asked. "I mean, I suppose we could make room… oh, I'll have to talk to Isshin about that…" She sighed again. "You are crazy, Erza Scarlet. You know that?"

"It's one of my best qualities." Erza said confidently. "How will I make a difference if I can't believe the impossible?"

"That… makes no sense." Masaki said, giving a chuckle. "Well, I don't think anybody here can try to stop you. But… Erza, be careful. A little girl is going to be depending on you. You _cannot_ let her down."

"I won't." Erza said confidently.

* * *

Urahara certainly did like being owed favours. She didn't know how she did it, but he found a way- adoption papers, officially made, facilitating Erza's guardianship over Orihime; all that was left to ask. Even his smug grin, as he implied she would be in his debt for many, many years, didn't anger her. She had bigger things to care about. Much, much bigger things.  
All in all, nearly a month had passed. There had been a funeral, Spartan in nature with few participants. Erza had attended, as had Tatsuki, and a few of Sora's friends from work- it had been a sad affair all around, as funerals tended to be. Orihime, understandably, had not gone back to school yet, staying inside that dank apartment, sad and broken. Erza had visited her daily, spending most of her time there when she was not at work, even neglecting her training. Today was the time, Erza thought as she walked in, papers in hand.

Orihime was cooped up in a corner, watching reruns of some drama show on TV. Wordlessly, Erza sat herself down beside her on the floor, leaning her back against the wall. They sat quietly for a while, Erza barely following the plot of the show. She suspected Orihime didn't either. After a while, Erza realized she would have to be the one to speak up, or they would be stuck here all night.

"So…" Erza said, not sure how to begin. Orihime did not respond.  
"So… will you go back to school soon?" She said.

"Mhmm." Orihime said, keeping her eyes focused on the television.

"You have to keep moving." Erza said. "Not that you should ever forget him, but… life goes on…"  
This was awkward. Very, very awkward. It had been easy enough to decide to do this, but strangely, this part was more difficult than she had thought.  
"You keep moving, because um…" Erza sighed. There was no nice and smooth way of saying this.

"Orihime, sooner or later, people will come asking. They'll want to know who is going to look after you now."

"I can look after myself." Orihime said, her voice barely a whisper.

"I am sure you can," Erza said, trying, struggling to lay this out, "but they won't see it that way. They will want to place you in foster care, or find your p-"

"I don't have any!" Orihime said sharply. "They're not real, big brother said so, they're not-"

"I believe you!" Erza said quickly. "But.. they won't."

"They- they- who is they, anyway?" Orihime said, sounding upset.

"The government, I suppose," Erza said, gently putting an arm around Orihime. "I… your brother was a good man. He worked hard, and he took care of you, and nobody can replace him. But he's… not here anymore. I wouldn't ask this if that wasn't so, but… somebody needs to look after you. I think it should be me."

"What?" Orihime said.

"I'm not your big brother," Erza said, "and I'm not going to try to be. But… trust me, you need somebody."

"I can do it fine on my own," Orihime mumbled defiantly, but she sounded weary more than anything else.

"I'll let you." Erza said. "I'm not your mother. But… I want to take care of you."

Orihime stayed silent for a while. "…would we be living with doctor Kurosaki?" She finally mumbled.

"Maybe at first." Erza said. "I'll get us our own place eventually. I'm making enough money now."

"…maybe." Orihime said, her voice little more than a whisper. "I just…"

"It hurts." Erza said bluntly. "A lot. I know, _trust_ me, I know how much it hurts. But the world keeps moving, and we need to move with it or we're left behind."

"…you know?" Orihime said. "Who did you lose?"

"More than I want to say," Erza mumbled, remembering all of their names, their faces flashing through her memory, "maybe one day I'll tell you all about it. It's going to hurt, a lot, and for some people that never stops. But it gets easier."

"I don't believe you," Orihime murmured.

"I didn't believe it either." Erza said. "But it gets better. And like I said… you have to keep moving.

They sat silent for a while. Then, finally, Orihime said, her voice barely audible,  
"…okay."

Inwardly, Erza breathed a sigh of relief. It was the first step to an enormous undertaking, something new entirely, a challenge unlike any she had ever faced. She would do it. Failure was not an option.

* * *

**And here we go. A HUGE change has unfolded. Erza scarlet is now the legal guardian of Orihime Inoue.**

**Now, why did I do this? 3 reasons. For one, ive always been fond of Orihime as a character. Many people started to dislike her during the arrancar arc, but for me, ive never really had an issue with the character. However, I DO admit that she really hasn't had as much time to shine as a character as she should.**

**Thats one reason why this was done. Orihime wont just be a medic, I have plans to turn her into a competent fighter. Not an overpowered one mind you. She isnt reaching captain level anytime soon...if ever. (probably not gonna happen) However, I can promise you more will be done with her.**

**It also gives us the interesting scenario of Erza trying to be a parent...admit it, you want to know how she would do as one. Will she do a good job? I leave that up to you to guess.**

**Finally, this means that Orihime will be spending more time with Ichigo. I know that may not seem all that important right now...but it is. For atleast two reasons. If you can guess why, Ill personally congratulate you in the next chapter...assuming I remember too.**

**I planned this out to happen for over a year. This isnt just something I just decided to do now. Ive got a whole outline for this story, that goes from here, to soul society, all the way to the 1000 year blood war arc.**

**Anyways, I hope you all really, truly enjoyed this chapter. Please, feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think. **


	23. Time ticks forward

**Happy 2016 everyone! I know this isnt the most long chapter we've put out, nor the most eventful, but I think what happens by the end of it will leae you all very...intrigued.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING.**

**Thanks to Greatkingrat88 once again.**

* * *

It had been clear to Hinamori Momo, after the first wave of shock and grief had passed, that she had a duty- no, an _obligation_ to become stronger. It is what Erza would have wanted for her- to be the very best she could be. One day Erza would come back; she knew it with the same certainty she knew that the sun would rise in the morning, and she knew with the same certainty that she was innocent, the victim of… something. A conspiracy, terrible luck, whatever it may be. When that time came, when Erza came back, Momo would stand with her, defend her- in a court, or in battle. Because when she _did_ come back, she would stand by her no matter what, even if it meant turning her back on the Gotei.

It was that realization, the grave and grim knowledge that she, too, would accept the label of traitor for her beloved friend, that spurred Momo to move forward. The first few weeks she had simply carried on like a drone, a robot performing one chore after another. Then, after her realization, she had come back with spirit and gusto, throwing herself into her work entirely. In her free time she practiced; she trained her body, her swordplay- it was her weakest suit, which was why she forced Renji to spar with her, because overcoming difficulty is what Erza would do. She studied kido at the most advanced level, learning every little flow of magical energy down to the smallest known decimal, turning every spell inside out, then back again, in the pursuit of mastery.

But after a few years, it became apparent that for all her hard work, she was not Erza. She was not special. She was not that talented or strong. Sure, she was a vice-captain, but… that was not enough. She needed more. One day she might have to take on a captain- or all of them- and the difference between a captain and his second in command was a vast ocean, a million fathoms deep and a million miles across.

She was doing well. Well was not enough. She was strong, she was fast, and she was often praised for her in-depth level of understanding of the mystical arts of kido, hailed by scholars as a fellow scientist in her own right.  
But all of it was not nearly enough.

She sought knowledge. She could only train her body so far- she had limits and she knew it. She had to play to her strength, to her affinity for magic. Kido was power, in a way few shinigami even realized- there were few limitations to what a true master could do once she learned how to manipulate it. Kido was bound to arts of binding and destruction both out of necessity and practicality, because its practitioners were soldiers, just like she was… but Kido, in the end, could be so much more. It was _magic_. Raw power at your fingertips, bendable to your will in any way you wanted, limited only by your concentration and imagination.

She scoured the libraries of the Gotei. She read every book on the subject, cover to cover, ten times over. She made experiments of her own, constructing new spells. It became an obsession, a life's goal in itself, to master magic in its truest sense. All for her, all for Erza Scarlet.

But even then, even with years of research and training with a singular purpose, she began to feel frustrated. She progressed, certainly, but it was slow. Her theoretical forms, her new magic, it was all an imitation of pre-existing magical theory. No matter how she tried, she could not grasp the godlike power she dreamed of. In theory, you could do anything with kido. Yet, Momo could reach out only to an iota of that potential.

The revelation nearly drove her mad. Her work _had_ to have meaning. She had to cross that ocean. If she couldn't, then there was absolutely no meaning to all her work. She would be useless, worthless to Erza- no, she could not allow it. She would not give up. Erza never would.

But then, she found something. At first, she thought it was nothing- a patrol going missing, then coming back later, not even remembering that they had left for the Rukon. It was filed under the kind of oddity that happened every now and then. Combat had a way of wearing at the mind, and stranger things had happened.

But then it happened again, two years later, and it made Momo raise an eyebrow. In her own time, she looked into it. There were similar reports- villages not paying taxes, and warlords doing nothing to pursue it. Shinigami investigating, and going missing or returning without their memories. Looking back into Gotei records, she found it was a trend, small enough to go unnoticed, but consistent and repeating itself- always centered around district forty-six. It was as if there was some force at work there, one that did not want to be found.

It was a long shot, but long shots was all she had. Making up an excuse for a mission, Momo had headed out there, spending nearly a week investigating, asking around. People denied everything, very quickly, which only made her surer she was on to something. Eventually, she one day found her way to a small shed, miles from the closest village. The person living here was nearly mystical, from what little she had been able to gather- barely spoken of at all, and when he was, he was spoken of with reverence and fear.

What she saw when she walked up to the shed- a ramshackle construct, little more than a few planks put over a wind-break, was not quite what she had expected.

From out the door- or rather, the ragged piece of cloth serving as a door- stepped an aging man, with a white, dirty bears, red around the eyes, wearing what looked like a worn sack over his torso as his only piece of clothing, a stump of rope serving as a makeshift belt. He was ugly to look at, his glare malignant, and he seemed for all the world like a drunk or a beggar holed up in a shithole, like a thousand others.

"I'm- I'm sorry," Momo murmured, as she saw him walk her way. "I, er, I must have gotten to the wrong place…"

"Sure as hell did, girl," the old man growled, his voice gravelly and slurred, "yer that shinigami what keeps asking about me, aintcha?"

"About- about you?" Momo stammered. It was hard to imagine- the sort of magicks it would take to erase memories, leaving no trace of kido behind, it would take not only true mastery, but a genial level of skill. This… old, decrepit man, could he really be it?

"Yer not used t'doing this, are ya?" The old man grumbled. "Yer spies are clumsy little fucks, an' I always see 'em comin' ten miles away, but at least they bother tryin' t'seem like they was from around 'ere, like what they was askin' was all nat'ral. You, you barge in 'ere in uniform like you was kickin' down a door-" he burped, and hiccupped, "like you got no idea what you're doin'. An' you don't, do ya?"

"I'm not a spy, no," Momo said defiantly.

"No, you sure ain't," the man said, giving her an examining stare. There was something in his eyes- his face was old, ugly and worn, but his eyes were sharp, a bright blue. "What begs t'question, how'd ya even find me? How ya know I even exist?"

"The trail is there," Momo said. "Little incidents here and there. If you look at it in the reports, there's a pattern, and it leads right here- well, to here or anywhere within fifty miles of here. From there, it's a bit of detective work- and sensing reiatsu." She stared at him, scrutinizing him just like he had scrutinized her. "You have a lot of it, don't you? You hide it well, but it's there, under the surface."

The old man grumbled. "Bloody hell, I been sloppy, ain't I? Stay too long in one place, this is what happens." He shook his head, sounding quite displeased.

"I've been looking for somebody to-"

"We done 'ere," the old man said, and flicked his wrist. Momo could feel it, sailing through the air toward her, at breack-neck speed, a spell…  
Quickly, she let her own energies extend. She had but a second, but it was enough- just in time, a web of kido formed in front of her hand, catching the spell before it could connect.

"The hell?" The old man said, narrowing his eyes. "You… caught it. Now that's somethin' else- that ain't happened in four hundred years."

"It's a brilliant design," Momo said, letting herself feel the intricacies of the spell, swirling around in her palm, trying to break free and carry out its effect, "It's a… rune of some sort. A bound spell, constructed to completion before release, which takes an immediate and irreversible effect if it connects. Unless you stop it, of course." She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and concentrated for a few seconds.  
"Judging by the age of the strands of energy, you began spinning it the moment you saw me. With one hand, without the help of a voice, while talking to me. And…" She felt the spell, in her mind viewing it up close, "it's… marvelous, actually. It's like kido, but… if kido was a piece of art. It's so… elegant."

"Bloody right, it's elegant," the old man grumbled. "That there is a memory charm. Art of bindin', only better than wrapping somebody in chains. Hits your mind, and it makes you forget- that one woulda cost you a month of your mind, girl. How'd you even catch it?"

"Oh, that," Momo said, trying to sound effortless. "A simple case of identifying its powering strands, and tying them down with kido of my own. It's a low energy spell, which is very cost efficient- but that also makes it easy to overpower."

"That so," the old man said, staring at her ponderingly, "Well… sorry 'bout this, but now that you're too clever t'charm, I'll hafta kill ya." He sounded disappointed, almost remorseful. "Can't have the Gotei running up my arse. Sorry girl, but-"

"Teach me!" Momo exclaimed. "This is everything I ever wanted- this is true brilliance! I've studied the science, I've learned as much as I thought I could- but this is… it's beyond anything I ever saw. I have to know, sensei! I have to learn!"

"…what?" The old man said, looking at her confusedly. "That what you came for?"

"I'm not here to give your secret up," Momo said hastily. "I- I want to learn, because it's… something else. Because one day, I might have to fight them."

The old man simply stared at her. "I can hear yer heart, y'know. Not hard t'do when ya know the nature of spirit energy- the _real_ nature of it. You ain't lyin', I can tell. But…" He narrowed his eyes. "Who's t'say you deserve to learn from me, eh?"

"Try me." Momo said confidently.

* * *

It ended up being quite the event, bringing Orihime back to the Kurosaki residence. She had told Masaki, of course, who had told Isshin, who had reacted in the most typically Isshin way possible. No sooner had they walked in the door before he was there to greet them, as loud and clownish as ever.

"Oh, you poor little girl!" He exclaimed dramatically. "You'll be safe here with us! We'll all look after you, like one big family- _ow ow ow Masaki please stop-"_ he whined, as Masaki held his ear in a firm grip.

"You are scaring her." Masaki said calmly. "Now, I'll let go if you promise to act like a grownup, or at _least_ have the decency to be a man-child somewhere else. She just went through something awful, and she doesn't need this."

"All right, all right…" Isshin muttered. "It's true what they say- love hurts. Especially the parts with nerve endings!"  
Masaki shot him a look, and Isshin retreated into the kitchen. Erza sighed to herself. Marriage was about ups and downs, it seemed. For now, her only focus was Orihime. For what Masaki had said, Orihime seemed not scared at all- she looked at the world quite blankly, in a way that was somewhat worrisome.

Masaki went over to Orihime, and took her coat off, simply as she would do for any of her children. "Hello there," she said, her tone soft and quiet. "I am Masaki. How are you?" Orihime didn't reply, and Masaki sighed. "Silly question, of course. Nobody should feel good when they go through that."

"It's all right," Erza said, and took Orihime's hand. "Let's go have a seat inside. Is that okay?"

Orihime nodded.  
"I'm Orihime." She said quietly, looking at Masaki. "It's very nice to meet you."

Masaki nodded. "You're welcome here. Go on, go and say hello to Ichigo. Or… well, whatever makes you comfortable.

As Orihime went her way inside, Masaki let out a sigh. "I know _you_ think this sort of thing is difficult, treating people right, but it's no cakewalk for the rest of us. A girl who loses a brother, the one person she had… what do you even say?"

"Perhaps not by reminding her about it." Erza said gently.

"Good grief, yes…" Masaki mumbled. "I'm not used to be the one making these mistakes. Usually, that's Isshin's job."

"I heard that, you heartless woman!" Isshin cried from the kitchen. "Oh, cruel fate! I am conspired against from all sides by ruthless women!"

"Shut up." Erza said absent-mindedly. "It's fine, Masaki. She's strong. She will come back from this. I'll see to it myself."

"You really mean it, don't you?" Masaki said. "Well, you never do anything halfway…"

"HEY!" The loud, indignant cry came from Ichigo, having made his way downstairs, running up to Masaki and Erza in the hallway. "Hey, Erza! Is it true? Is it?"

"Is what?" Erza said confusedly.

"Mom said you were going to move out!" He said angrily, sounding quite upset.

"I let it slip," Masaki said, and sighed. "He didn't take it well."

"You can't leave!" Ichigo cried, almost shouting. "You've always been here! Always!"

Erza looked him in the eye, and said,  
"I'm not going away, Ichigo. It's true I'll move out-"

"You can't!" Ichigo said. "It's…" He paused, taking a deep breath, making himself calm down a bit. "It's just not fair, okay…?"

"I'll be close by," Erza said calmly, "and you'll still see me every day. I'm not going far- I'll be just up the street. At least in the block, I promise. I'll still pick you up at school, and I'll still teach you about swords. I promise."

"But-" He interjected, but Erza wouldn't let him.

"She needs me." Erza said. "Orihime doesn't have anyone. Is it fair that you have mom, dad and me, and she has nothing?"

"Who cares about her?!" Ichigo said, his anger flaring up again. "I just want you to be here like before-"

"Ichigo, _shush_." Masaki said firmly. "What have I said about talking to adults?"

"Um…" Ichigo said. "But it's not-"

"_What have I said,_ Ichigo?" Masaki insisted.

"No shouting. Be polite." Ichigo mumbled.

"That's right." Masaki said, nodding.

"It's fine," Erza said, putting an arm on his shoulder. "You have a mom to look after you, and she doesn't. And like I said… I'll still be here. Just not in this house, not as much as before."

Ichigo grumbled, sounding a little defeated- the boy loved his mother, and wouldn't argue with her for the life of him, but even so he seemed off-put. Sensing that now was one of those time, Erza pulled him into a hug.  
"I'll be close." She said firmly, and held him. Slowly, after a little while, he hugged her back. "And I'll still look after you whenever I'm needed. Maybe some time, you could come and have a sleepover. Wouldn't that be something?"

"…I'm too old for sleepowers," Ichigo murmured, and finally broke the hug. "It's just… not fair."

"That's life, Ichigo." Masaki said. "Now, why don't you go say hello to Orihime?"

"Do I have to?" Ichigo said.

"Yes, you do," Erza said. "That, or mommy will give you the stare, and we don't want that, now do we?"

"…you're so mean, auntie," Ichigo murmured, but his tone couldn't be more transparent. He was a little hurt, as a kid might be, but at heart he was still a good boy.

As Ichigo went his way after Orihime, Masaki looked at Erza.  
"You know, you _do_ have a way with kids. You can make it work."

"I will." Erza said, and nodded. "I just hope Ichigo doesn't take it too hard."

"Pff, that," Masaki said dismissively. "He's such a big baby sometimes. He'll get over it."

"Meaning he's the second biggest baby in the house?" Erza said, with a grin. Masaki smiled back knowingly.

"I heard that too, you heartless harpies!" Isshin cried from the kitchen.

"Oh, shut up." Masaki said, not unkindly.

"Augh! Foiled again!" Isshin said loudly. "Oh, woe falls upon my house…"

Erza's grin stayed on her face for a while. Orihime had healing to do, but this was a good place to do it.

* * *

The sun was shining through the kitchen window of her new apartment, having just risen a couple of hours ago. Orihime was working through her breakfast, while Erza herself was already done- she had eaten right after finishing making it for her and Orihime both. It was simple- a bit of rice, a bit of fruit, a bit of milk; nothing special- if it had been, Erza might well have burnt it. Orihime, being the culinary mystery that she was, probably would not have noticed.

"Did you do your homework?" Erza said, yawning a little. She'd take Orihime to school, then take the bus right to work, just like every day.

"Mmm-hmm." Orihime said, nodding. She had recovered well- it had been over six months since her brother had died, and most of that time had been spent in the Kurosaki residence while they hunted for a new place. She had not forgotten her brother, but… she had moved on. It was good for her.  
"I got through math, and Japanese, and geography," Orihime said, as she chewed down a piece of bread.

"Did you finish English as well?" Erza said. She was a sweet girl, she knew, but she was a bit of a scatterbrain, and sometimes she would plain forget.

"Yes, I did," Orihime said. "I'm not _that_ stupid."

"Nobody thinks you're stupid." Erza said reassuringly. "And how's school? Nobody gives you trouble?"

"Sometimes." Orihime said. Seeing Erza's expression, she added, "It's nothing bad, you know. Tatsuki looks out for me. It's just a few taunts here and there. I can handle it."

Hesitantly, Erza nodded. "Sure… but if there is anything, anything at all, just come to me. All right?"

"I will, I will," Orihime said. She was much too sweet to roll her eyes at Erza, but her tone was unmistakable- she was being a fussy worry-wart, and Orihime could take care of herself, and so on.

"Well, good then," Erza said, nodding. "Don't forget your lunch, okay?"

"I won't." Orihime said. "I just wish you'd let me add marmalade to my sushi. It would be so tasty-"

"You can do that at home," Erza said firmly. "At school, you eat proper, strong food. You're a growing girl, and you need the right sustenance."

"Yes, Erza," Orihime said. The not-quite-eye-roll was still there, but Erza was firm on this one- Orihime was an oddball, and that was fine, but she wouldn't compromise on anything that involved good parenting- and that included the right food.

"Good. Let's go, then." Erza said. The two of them got up from the table, and headed out to face the day.

The six months it had taken to find a new place had given Orihime time to heal, and Ichigo plenty of time to adjust- and make friends with Orihime. Despite his initial misgivings, the two of them soon got along- he already knew Tatsuki from karate class, and before long the three of them were close friends, close as could be.  
Eventually, Erza had found a place, an apartment just around the corner. It was nothing special; just a couple of rooms plus a kitchen and a bathroom, but it was no more than Orihime and she needed. The time it had taken to get there had allowed for some good practice at child care, under Masaki's careful eye. By the time they moved out, Erza mostly had the hang of it- the trick, it seemed, was to be in a state of constant worry that something was wrong, big or small. She got Orihime's lunches done, she listened to her talk about school, about life; she bullied teachers whenever she heard the smallest word about harassment at school, she helped Orihime with her homework, praised her when she did well, and supported her when she didn't.

It was exhausting. Not like swinging a sword for eight hours straight until your arms felt like jelly, but a constant drain on the mind. To always be worried was enormously stressful, and sometimes Erza wondered how Masaki- or all the billions of mothers on this earth- could possibly do it without having a nervous breakdown every other day. Some probably did. But Erza had a will hard as nails, made of steel and diamonds, and she bore it stoically and with passion at the same time. Because at the end of the day, no matter how hard and stressful it was, it was an amazing feeling- to be depended on, to provide and care, to love and be loved, to guide somebody young and inexperienced and shape them, teaching them the lessons of life.

And teach her, she did. Orihime was a sweet and kind girl, but like too many girls in this country, she was meek and submissive, all too ready to bear abuse- like the bullying she had once had to endure- without retaliation. Erza found that mentality revolting, and resolved to do her utmost to teach her to be strong, to stand up for herself- because she couldn't always be there, because the way of Fairy Tail was not just dependence on others, but the strength to protect yourself and others as well.

It was something else, getting to know somebody this closely. Friends she had had in the soul society, but a daughter… never had she had that close a bond.  
She sometimes wondered, as time passed by, if she would one day have to reveal the truth to her- no, _when_. Keeping secrets from her friends in the old days had hurt, no matter the justification, and she would not repeat that mistake. One day, she would have to fill Orihime in on the secrets of the spiritual life. She had a not insignificant amount of spiritual energy herself, and she would undoubtedly be targeted by hollows at some point- she ought to know.

Ichigo, of course, was an even bigger target. His father a former captain and his mother a high ranking quincy, he was already developing a bank of energy bigger than most shinigami recruits- he would sometimes blaze like a beacon, and more than once she had had to quit a gathering to slay hollows. Yet, his parents insisted on keeping it secret- for whatever reason. Masaki claimed it was to protect him, but Erza suspected both she and Isshin were simply keen to leave that part of their life behind them.  
It was a risk. Which was why she would one day tell Orihime.  
Only not just yet.

* * *

Ichigo lived a good life. His mother loved him, and his father was all right as well, even though he was really embarrassing sometimes. There were times when he thought his mother was too strict, or his father too goofy, but then he remembered the other parents he sometimes saw at school- harsh, demanding, much stricter than his mother ever was, and he reasoned that all things considered, he had it pretty good. He had a mother and a father who loved him, he had good friends to rely on, and if somebody bullied him, he knew how to fight back- and if it got really bad, he'd only have to tell his Auntie and she'd come down on them like a fury.  
Life was good, but sometimes… it was odd. Weird. Sometimes he saw people floating around in the air, with chains to their chests and empty looks on their faces. Sometimes they looked old, sometimes they looked young; sometimes they looked normal and sometimes there was blood on them, or injuries…  
And whenever he talked about it, his mom quickly shushed him and gave him The Stare, the one that meant he was going to bed without supper and it didn't matter worth a damn that he would be a teenager in a few months, because when mom told you to do something, you did it.

He had memories- vague memories, almost like dreams- of strange things. A riverbank in the rain, when he was little, and a huge, scary monster with a white mask for a face, and his mother using some sort of magic to send it packing. The mere thought of it still gave him chills. He remembered it clearly, but the one time he had asked about it, mom had insisted it was all a dream, and off to bed without supper he was. He had learned that some things, he ought not to ask.  
But he still saw them. Ghosts, spirits. Sometimes, they even talked to him. Sometimes, Ichigo felt afraid that he was going mad, that he'd end up in an asylum far away from his family, and so he kept his mouth shut.

He remembered the stories Auntie Erza had told him when he was little. About Princess Crimson, the brave, red-haired knight of war that slew the dragons and fought the monsters and protected the people. He had loved those stories, because his auntie had always told them like she really believed in them. How Crimson had travelled to the faraway kingdom, learned the ways of the knight, protected the realm… how she had been deceived by the corrupt vizier, a greedy, power-hungry man who sought the throne for himself. How he had promised a better place for everyone, only to frame her for murder and have her sent into exile.

At his young age, Ichigo had wondered what happened to Princess Crimson next. Did she come back and kill the vizier, and save the kingdom? But Erza had looked at him strangely, and told him with something different in her voice that no, she remained in exile and that was it. He had wanted a happy ending, but she had told him that sometimes, you didn't get a happy ending.

All of that wouldn't have seemed so strange, except one night, when he was eight, he had _seen_ her. He had seen Princess Crimson. One night, coming through a window with her black kimono, her bright red hair and a sword by her side. She had seen him, and told him to go to bed. Ichigo had obeyed, but curiosity had gotten the better of him. After a few minutes in bed, after he had heard her walk down the stairs, he had snuck down, carefully walking down the stairs one step at a time, keeping as quiet as he could. And he had heard them talk…

_"__He'll find out eventually," Princess Crimson- Erza?- had said. He was peeking through the doorway, just barely open enough to see. She was standing by their dinner table, where his mom and dad were seated. "It's only a matter of time. He needs to-"_

"We talked about this." His mom said. "The answer is still NO. My children will not grow up to become shinigami. You know what they are like-"

"This is not about shinigami and quincy business!" Erza said frustratedly. "Will you protect him his entire life? When he is forty years old, and you are old and grey? Eventually, he will need to protect himself- or he'll end up eaten by a-"

"He's my son!" His mom snapped. "Mine, not yours! I decide what he knows and doesn't, don't you forget it!"

"Honey, please," his dad said quietly. "You'll wake the kids. And… I dunno, maybe she has a point. Look, I know what they're like, better than anyone, but… if Erza says he has power, then I believe it. Maybe…"

"Let me tell you what having power and learning to use it was like for me." Mom said. "Constantly lorded over, constantly harassed to do better, constantly feeling I wasn't good enough. This whole world, spirits, monsters… I don't want that for my children."

"And when a monster comes knocking?" Erza said firmly. "When a monster comes knocking and you're not there?"

"Then you will protect him. Won't you, Erza?"

"I will," Erza said frustratedly, "but-"

"No buts." Mom said firmly. "You will tell him nothing. If you do, I swear I'll…" She trailed off, as if unsure what to threaten with.

"I won't." Erza said resignedly. "But we can't protect him forever. He has power- if you truly want to protect him, then teach him how to use it instead of shielding him."

"This is over." Mom said. "Go to bed now."

"I'm not your kid, you know…" Erza grumbled.

Even now, Ichigo wasn't sure if that was all just a dream. He often told himself that it was. There was no way it could all be real, right? Princess Crimson was just a story.  
But no matter how he tried, he couldn't shake the notion that no matter how good and normal life seemed, there was more to it than this. That his mom, his beloved kaa-chan, was hiding something from him.  
Or maybe not.

You never know.

* * *

Time passes, and in life, only two things are said to be certain- death, and taxation. It was no huge shock to anybody that old Ishida Soken had died- people in his neighbourhood knew him as a grandfather, a man in his sixties, just the kind that might have a stroke or a heart attack and die. His family knew him as a kind and masterful quincy, a natural part of their family, faced with the same dangers as the rest of them- to one day be killed by a hollow.  
It was nothing shocking about his death, but Masaki- despite not having seen the man for years, not since she had cut ties with her family- still felt saddened when she got the news. Her old uncle was one of the few good people from her family, a kind and guiding soul who wanted the best for his children- so unlike his wife, entrenched in the past and a staunch purist, filled with the hate and racism that had poisoned the quincies.

He had always been kind to her, although he had done nothing to hinder his family's attempt at controlling her. Even knowing what her family would think, she knew she had to go to his funeral. There was history to face… but not only that, the case of his death was suspicious. Just the day before, there had been a hollow attack of unprecedented scale- and suspiciously focused just on the one location. The official cause might be heart attack, but she had looked at the scene herself- her uncle's dying reiatsu was all over the place, like blood smeared all over a wall, clashing with the vicious negative energies of the hollows. Somebody had killed him. If that somebody could go after the patriarch of the quincy family, one of its strongest members, then they might go after another. It might go after her. It might go after her children.

So it was that, when the day came, Masaki dressed in appropriate funeral attire, and headed out. Alone, of course- this had nothing to do with Isshin, and she didn't need Erza to protect her, and she certainly didn't want her children to see her family. Just as a precaution, though, she had told Erza where she was going. It was not like she expected her family to attack her, but some of them were… unreliable. That was what always creeped her out the most, not only their ideology, so full of hate for all these supposed inferiors, but the fanatical devotion some of them had toward it. You could never feel quite safe around them, never at ease.

The ceremony, a private affair attended only by family members, was a grim affair, even for a funeral. More than a few angry scowls were sent her way as she entered the room in the quincy manor where it was held- she had, of course, not been invited- but nobody would interrupt the eulogies, one quincy after the next saying their praises to the late patriarch of their clan. Never mind that his soft stance had been considered a sign of weakness, or that she knew several of the pure-blood quincies, as they fancied themselves, had considered him an old fool. In death, he was worthy only of respect, no matter what scorn there had been toward him in life. It was two-faced, hypocritical and inconsistent, but in this matter, at least, they were quite similar to any human being on this world.

Afterward, despite wanting only to leave, Masaki lingered. Luckily, Ryuken found her before any of the others did, and walked her outside, to the garden where she had once played as a child. He didn't say a word, even when they stopped outside, staring out into nothing.

"So…" She began. "Um. Sorry for your loss."

The words seemed so generic, insincere, but she really was- Ryuken was a cold and difficult man at times, but he had never seemed to take to his mother's ideas, not the way she wanted him to.

"Been a while, hasn't it?" Ryuken said. His voice was calm, in control, and if Masaki hadn't known him the way she did, she would have thought his father's death had left him cold. But she noticed it, the smallest tremble in his voice, the way he fumbled slightly when he pulled out a cigarette, the way he didn't bother to ask if it was all right if he smoked- little telltale signs that told her that, in his own way, he too grieved.

"It sure has," Masaki mumbled, not quite sure what to say. More than twelve years had passed since she had disgraced the quincy name by finding happiness and freedom on her own. "Too long…"

"You don't really mean that." Ryuken said bluntly. "You hate this family."

"I don't-" Masaki protested.

"You are right to." Ryuken said plainly. "They are awful, ignorant and stupid people, and if everything they believed in died, nobody would be worse off for it."

"You don't mean that…" Masaki said lamely.

"Yes, I do," Ryuken said matter-of-factly. He took a puff on his cigarette, and blew out a cloud of smoke.  
"Funny how things turn out, isn't it?" He said, staring out into space. "I was supposed to be the next patriarch of the last of the quincies, leading us through troubled times and setting us on the road to restoring our once-great civilization and the might and purity for which it stands." There was a clear shade of distaste in his voice, leaving no room to the imagination for what he thought of 'might' and 'purity'.  
"And you were supposed to be my loving, obedient wife, churning out beautiful, genetically deficient babies by the dozen. Quincies all, of course, indoctrinated to be just as bitter and resentful as mother."

"Ryuken…" Masaki said. She was surprised- she had never known he had despised his family so much. He had always gone along with his mother's wishes- never eagerly, but obediently still. What had changed?

As if reading her mind, he continued,  
"Mother wanted a leader, somebody pure. Of course, just like everyone else with a brain, she learned that life is sad, full of disappointments, and not always getting what you want is the least of it. It… was you, in the end. I can't say I was ever enthusiastic about the genetically deficient babies part, but… I missed you."

"I- you should have said something!" Masaki exclaimed, keeping her tone shushed. "All this time, I thought you… that you-"

"Were running mother's errands, yes?" Ryuken said sardonically. "I do not blame you. The whole strong, quiet male nonsense got pretty ingrained into me. But if you think you were a disappointment, imagine how they reacted when I told them I was done with their petty, narrow-minded way of life and that I'll live as a civilian." Just briefly, a small grin crossed his face, gone in an instant. "Now there was a family row for the ages." He paused. "I'm… not a great person, Masaki. I'm stubborn, I'm detached, and I am probably a pretty bad father to my boy. But even so, he'll have his freedom. He learned the ways of the quincy from his grandfather- I didn't let anyone else near him."

"Will they just… let you go?" Masaki said, almost in disbelief.

"I'm not giving them any choice in the matter." Ryuken said dismissively. "I _am_ the inheritor to all the power and skill of the Ishida line, and I could kill any one of my so-called inferiors. That is always reassuring. Between the two of us, watching their impotent rage as I defy their precious traditions is rather amusing."

"You're spiteful," she said. It was sad- delighting in somebody else's misery was not a trait she found attractive.

"Blame it on the family," he said, shrugging. "My boy has his head full of ridiculous ideas about heroism and good- of course, he doesn't have the first idea about what the rest of them are really like, and he never will. Personally, I'd rather he dropped the whole thing."

Masaki shook her head. "Their ideals… their hate and ignorance, that's the problem. Not the power itself. You shouldn't deprive him of that."

"Says the housewife who keeps her children in the dark?" Ryuken said, shooting her a look. "Shall we perhaps see if Ichigo and Uryu both have the same talent? We could have little archery sessions, like a big, happy, monster-hunting family-"

"All right, that's enough." Masaki said, her tone sharpening. "Point taken. I won't lecture you if you won't lecture me."

"That's all I ask for." He sighed. "I missed you. But in the end, you were the brave one. You did what I couldn't, and it…" He grumbled. "Cheesy as it sounds, it was an inspiration."

"Nothing's stopping you from being a part of my life now, you know," Masaki said encouragingly. "You could always-"

"Good grief, come over for coffee and make merry about the wonders of being a doctor with your oaf husband?" Ryuken said, grimacing. "Family life… I had that once with Kanae. She passed a couple of years back, and… well, I don't need that again."

"I-I'm so sorry," Masaki said. She had no idea, not the first clue. She had gathered that Kanae, a servant girl to the Ishida family, had married Ryuken and given him a son, but she had known nothing further- certainly not that she had died. "I can't even imagine-"

"Don't." Ryuken said sharply. "This blasted sympathy makes me sick. Life is…" He took a deep breath, and forced his voice to be subdued and calm again, "life is what it is. I don't need to sit down and have somebody pat my back, and I don't need to play house with anybody either."

"…fair enough." Masaki said, deciding not to prod. "But your boy- Uryu- isn't he going to be awfully lonely? You work long hours, and with no mother…"

Ryuken did not reply.

"He could come over to our place sometimes. He should know he has relatives- good ones. Maybe you don't need anybody, but I can guarantee you, he does."

"…maybe." Ryuken muttered. "We'll see."

"All right, then," Masaki said, nodding.

"Well, nice catching up," Ryuken muttered, "but the real reason I found you is something else."

"Yes?" Masaki said.

"I always liked you," Ryuken said, "well, I think we already established that. At any rate… keep an eye out. My family, they know that I'd kill them all if they touched Uryu- but there's no guarantee they won't go after you, now that grandfather is dead. They will come to me, after the wake is done, and ask me one last time to become the patriarch of the Ishida. I will reject them, and in turn they will elect Shizuo. He's the most popular of the few 'pure' left, and… he's dangerous, Masaki."

"…I see," Masaki said. She remembered Shizuo, one of five pure quincies left in the clan. He was a dark, brooding sort, who spoke of the quincy arts with pride and passion- a deep, strong passion that always seemed to carry a hint of contempt for everything not quincy.

"He's gotten worse since I left," Ryuken explained. "He… hates the impure. A lot more than he used to. I don't know how strong you are, but I doubt you kept training much. You have a strong guard dog, that red-head woman, but that might not be enough. Watch your back, Masaki, for your family's sake."

"Thank you," Masaki said, and nodded, feeling a sinking feeling. Few as the remaining quincies were, they were strong and dangerous, exactly the sort of thing she didn't want in her life.

"Of course, I could be wrong entirely- maybe he'll decide to spend his time repopulating the earth with pure-bloods, but just in case…" Ryuken said, trailing off.

"Of course." Masaki said. "Thank you again, Ryuken. Don't be a stranger."

"Mmmh." Ryuken said, in the kind of generic grunt that she recognized as 'good bye'.

"I'll be in touch about Uryu!" Masaki said, as she walked away, waving at Ryuken as she walked away. She couldn't quite make it out, but she heard him say something like 'for god's sake, woman'.  
Hope was not lost for the family she had come from, it seemed. Not entirely. But for now, she had to speak with Isshin and Erza.

* * *

She did speak to Isshin and Erza, apprising them of the potential dangers. Erza, predictably, suggested that they go and beat the snot out of them at once, but Masaki was not one to start a war if she could avoid it.  
So they kept an eye out, turning a little paranoid in the process- a sensation already familiar to the three of them, having had to watch over little children for over a decade now- but a month passed without incident. Two months, three months, and though Masaki would never dream of letting her guard down, she allowed herself a metaphorical breath of relief. Perhaps Shizuo really had focused on rebuilding the clan, as Ryuken had suggested. Not the greatest of things, but if her family was out of the line of fire, she was happy.

Yes, time went by as normal. The kids went to school, played on their free hours- it was sweet to see how close Ichigo was with the girls; most boys could be so immature about that- and Masaki spent her time doing ordinary things, keeping a watchful eye. Erza did as she always did, working, looking after Orihime, training when she had the chance, always keeping busy.  
Life was normal for a while.

She knew the instant she walked up to their door, some four months after that funeral, that something was wrong. Later, she would claim she had a bad feeling from the start; the truth of that statement wasn't known even to Masaki herself. She had caught a late lunch with Erza after her shift at work ended, Isshin looking after Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu and Orihime. The door was what tipped her off- almost, but not completely closed, when it should be locked.

"So I told him he needs to shape up-" Erza said, talking about some unruly pupil of hers, but she fell quiet when Masaki hurried her steps, opening her door, hoping dearly that somebody had just been sloppy with it. It was probably nothing, right? Children made mistakes all the time, and Isshin, that goofball, he always messed up in little ways, so… it had to be nothing. It had to be nothing.  
Quickly, Masaki marched into her home, Erza following quickly after her.

"What's wrong?" She asked, concern in her voice.

"Ichigo?" Masaki called out, ignoring her. "Mommy's home! Ichigoo? Karin? Yuzu?" Quickly, she looked around. Everything seemed in order; the couch in the living room looking much the same, the coffee table not overturned, just the one glass of chocolate milk spilled; that was normal…  
But the kids weren't there.

"ICHIGO?" Masaki cried out, letting herself feel for his presence. She hadn't used the arts for years, made a point not to, but it was like riding a bicycle; you never forgot how. "ICHIGO?" She cried again. "KARIN? YUZU?"  
They weren't there. She could feel their absence; all of them had a signature, unique as a fingerprint, and it _wasn't there_.

"What- where are they?" Erza said, catching on.

"Go check upstairs!" Masaki said desperately. There was no point, but she had to. Looking around her, she felt panic rising in her chest. Oh no, oh no no-"  
Her devolving state of mind was interrupted by a low groan coming from the kitchen. Quickly, she hurried in, and saw Isshin on the floor, sitting leaned against the refrigerator, a trail of blood coming down from a wound in his shoulder.

"Oh, baby," she mumbled, hurrying up to him, cradling his head in her hands. "Isshin, are you all right?" She gently slapped his cheek, wanting to wake him.

"I… oh, hell," he mumbled, groaning in pain as he weakly clutched at his chest, "I was… making sandwiches for the kids… I dunno what happened next."

Masaki grabbed a kitchen towel, rolled it up, and pressed it against his injury. It looked bad, but there wasn't that much blood- gigai didn't have arteries like normal bodies did, being made to last. They still felt pain, though, and Isshin groaned again.  
"Hold on to this," she said. "And take this." She handed him her cellphone. "Call Ryuken. I have his number in there. He'll be grumpy and he'll say no at first, but you tell him Masaki asked for his help. You got that?"

"Uh-huh," Isshin groaned. "What'll you do?"

"I'll… go find them." She closed her eyes, feeling the strands of reiatsu all around them; emanating from her husband's wounds, from the living room…  
It was well concealed, but she could feel it- quincy energy.

"Masaki!" Erza cried out, coming from upstairs. "I found Orihime- she's all right, she hid in a closet. She saw them- men in white came and took Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu!"

"The quincies," Masaki mumbled. She felt nauseous, a fearful concern welling over her like a tide. "The _quincies_." She said the words again, this time with a deep, passionate hate in her voice. Her children! Her little babies, that she had carried, given birth to and raised, taken away from the safety of their homes, for who knows what reason- nothing good, that was assured.  
"We have to find them, Erza." Masaki said, forcing herself to be calm. The nausea, the fear, the hate, she pushed it down, boiling inside her like water in a pot, barely held back by a lid. "We find them before it's too late."

"Where do they live?" Erza said resolutely, her voice cold as steel. "Your old house?"

Masaki shook her head, remembering how they would operate. "No. They know the risk, and they'd never be where we could find them. Erza, I… I have no idea where they could have gone to."

"Me neither." Erza said. "But we know somebody who might, don't we?"

Much like Erza, Masaki had never much like Urahara Kisuke; a dodgy, unreliable and self-serving sort, but all old resentments were blown away in an instant, the furthest from her mind. For her children, she would deal with a demon if she had to, and being indebted was a small price.

"Let's go, then," she said. Erza nodded, popped out of her gigai, and together they dashed out toward the humble candy store in Karakura.

* * *

**And there you have it everyone, the first chapter of 2016. How did you like it?**

**Lets talk about a few things. For one, Momo's little encounter. While Erza has come along way since her disaperance, Momo has, more or less, only gotten as powerful as her cannon version...Well, seeing as how she's a very important character to this story, (and my favorite bleach character) I couldnt leave her like that, now can I?**

**She wont be overly powerful, dont be expecting a bankai from her new found training. What this WILL do however is teach her some ather nasty kido spells. Not your traditional ones, such as sokatsui and the like. No, im talking about new types of kido, ones that dont even have numbers. A good example of this are the ones used by Koga agaisnt byakuya in the final fight in the zanpaktou fight. Think of the spells she will learn to be like that...Only worse.**

**Now with that over, lets talk about the ending. Yes, Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin are now missing, kidnapped by the remains of the Ishida family, and other surviving quincys in japan. We never did find out what happened to them in cannon...I figured it would be best to fill in that little hole with this idea.**

**I do hope you all had some fun with this chapter. Please, feel free to leave a review and leave your thoughts, its very appropriated. **


	24. Knights Of Justice

**Ohhhhh Boy, i have waited a LONG time for us to get to this part of the story! Why? Oh, im not telling ya! You'll see what I mean soon enough. Im posting this chapter earlier because I REALLY want to know what you guys have to say about this chapter. Im cant wait to read the reviews for this one.**

**Well, enough stalling, lets do this!**

**Thank you once again Greatkingrat88**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

As they sped through town, Erza's mind raced. She was hardly the most stoic of people; like most from Fairy Tail she was passionate, if not wearing emotion at the sleeve then at least keeping it close. But a long life in service to the Gotei had allowed her to keep a level head in dangerous situations, far more so than somebody like Masaki would be able to. Poor Masaki- Erza felt the same outrage as she did, the same fear, anger and determination to find the children, but she was all too aware that a mother's instinct was that much stronger. Ichigo, Yuzu and Karin were her children; they had grown in her womb, been nursed and nurtured by Masaki from their youngest age, and now they were taken, for purposes unknown. She held up fairly well, circumstances considered, although Erza suspected that just like she herself did, she was trying very hard not to think about what could be happening to the kids at this time.

In mere minutes- which felt like years- they reached Urahara's shop, racing double time. Erza had not expected Masaki to be able to keep up with her speed, but she was, driven by either skill or sheer willpower. Urahara, no doubt having sensed their fast approaching presence, was just making his way out the door when the two of them landed. Masaki stopped to pant for a second, while Erza marched up to the shopkeeper, having the look of a woman ready to do bloody murder if she was provoked. Walking up to Urahara, she towered over him, her fists balled.

"Ah, miss Erza-" He said, his jolly tone sounding somewhat forced, but Erza cut him off.

"Shut up." She said firmly, her tone allowing for no disagreement. "We need something from you. No jokes, no stalling, no playing coy, no nothing. We need your help, and you'll give it to us. We'll get you anything you want later, anything at all, but _right now_ we need you to help."

"Now, there's no need-" Urahara began, his tone still too jaunty for Erza's liking. She grabbed him by the rim of his shirt, and pulled him in close, and said, her voice ice cold,  
"They took her kids. They're gone. Been gone for at least two hours. We think it was the quincies. Help, or I'll rip your throat out."

"…let go of me, and I'll see what I can do," Urahara said, his voice low and calm, quite unlike his normal, jolly demeanor. Slowly, Erza let go of him, and he turned around, taking his hat off and gesturing for them to follow him inside.

"We'll get you anything- anything at all," Masaki said, sounding a bit strained still.

"This way," Urahara simply said, leading them inside, behind the shop front and into one back room, filled with files and paper stacks, messy but not dusty.  
"Let's see here…" He mumbled, rifling through the stacks. "No- no, not here… not here either…"

"Can you hurry up?" Erza said irritably. His compliance had stopped her from getting angry- well, angrier than she was- but she was still not in a good mood, and it felt plain wrong to be standing still at a time like this.

"Erza Scarlet," Urahara said gravely, shooting her a look as he continued digging through his files, "I am doing the best I can. I'm not going to push my luck- I can tell you mean business, and I've no interest in getting in your way. In here," he said, putting his eyes back at the papers, "I keep little bits and pieces of information. Data that's not important enough to store up here," –he gestured at his head- "but still potentially useful. Like, say, my map of regular quincy hideouts which they use when they're out hunting."

"How much will it cost us?" Erza said. "I know you're a businessman-"

"I'm a businessman, not an extortionist," he said dismissively. "I'm not going to charge you on this one. Call it an act of good will, if you like."

Erza just blinked, staring at him. Did he really mean it?  
"Thank you," Masaki mumbled weakly, looking pale.

"Don't thank me until it's actually been useful," Urahara murmured. "Where is the damn thing- I could have _sworn_ I put it around here somewhere… ah, there!" He dug out a plain, brown file, knocking over a stack of papers as he pulled it free, and quickly rifled through it. "Yes, yes, yes… here!" He exclaimed, handing the file to Erza. "This is all I have, at the moment, which could be useful to you. An account of the hiding places favoured by the quincies from last year."

Erza looked through it quickly. "That's one, two, three… seven places to cover?" Erza mumbled.

"We'll just go, then, quickly!" Masaki insisted. "Thank you- thanks a million, but we- we gotta run!"

"Sounds like you could use somebody fast."  
The voice came from the door opening, and Erza would have recognized it anywhere. Yoruichi, her brown-skinned sparring partner, fully clothed for once.

"You're volunteering?" Erza said, not waiting for her to reply- together with Masaki, she began marching out of the shop. Yoruichi kept up, gracefully half-walking, half-leaping alongside them.

"Call it good will, I guess. It's a popular term today, it seems."

"Very well," Erza said, nodding. "Your skills could come in handy."

"You know her from before?" Masaki said anxiously.

"Sort of. Not exactly." Erza said. "She'll be useful, though."

"Then she comes with us," Masaki said, nodding. Together, the three of them sped off, after having had a quick look at the hiding places on the list.

Urahara watched them go. It was unlike Yoruichi to get involved- but it was a good thing. Smiling to himself, he put his hat back on. The quincies were in over their heads, red-headed doom coming their way, and it was a shame; they usually made for such good customers. _Oh well,_ he thought, _such was life…_

Karakura town was not an especially large part of Tokyo itself, but all things were relative, and after an hour of searching, 'not especially large' felt like a chasm, like a dark forest the size of Canada, enormously and impossibly large even with a few set locations to visit. Reality, of course, was that stress and fear was taking its toll, but being so caught up in said stress and fear, Erza and Masaki were not particularly inclined to take an objective view. It was good fortune, then, that Yoruichi had accompanied them, leading them expertly from one location to the next. So far, they had visited an empty warehouse, the unused cellar of a middle school, the roof of a tall office building, and nothing had yet turned up. Yoruichi kept running ahead to each one, so as not to alert the quincies of their presence, if they were there. But so far, the three places they had searched had yielded nothing. There were traces of Quincy reiatsu around the place, certainly- Urahara's intel had not been false, at least. Even so, every second spent chasing these leads felt like a second wasted. Masaki's mouth was a thin line, her fists balled, and Erza could tell she was just barely holding herself together. She herself was faring somewhat better, but not by much.  
They would find the hiding place, search it quickly, and dash off to the next, working as effectively as they could- she only hoped it would be enough.

They hit the fourth place at last, another basement hidden well under an apartment complex. It was well maintained; no dust collected on its floors and shelves, with small traces of reiatsu left. Even so, inside this dank, gloomy place, barely lit by sunlight coming from ground-level windows, there was nothing to be found. Quickly, not a word shared, they did as they had before- thoroughly rushing through the place, checking for anywhere somebody might have hid, or any clue that could lead them to the right place, sensing carefully for the right kind of reiatsu. Some five minutes later, they had turned the place upside down, turning the already run-down cellar into a bigger mess.

"Nothing here." Erza said through her teeth. "Should we move on?"

"Damn it," Masaki hissed, "damn it, damn it, damn it!" Her fists were balled hard, hard enough that her nails were digging through the skin of her palms. "Yoruichi, nothing?"

"No," Yoruichi said, shaking her head. "I'll check the other room. It'll take just a minute, then we'll move on."

"Do it quick, then!" Masaki snapped.

"Keep calm." Erza said, keeping her voice level. "You can't lose focus now-"

"It's not your kids on the line, Erza!" Masaki snapped. "What the hell are you risking? And why the hell are we just trusting… trusting her to guide us?"

Erza took a deep breath. Her first instinct was to come back with some sharp retort, about how she cared too, and how dare she question that- but Masaki was afraid, probably more afraid than she had ever been, and you were never yourself in situations like those. She had to keep calm, no matter what.

"We have no choice." She said slowly, getting each word out one syllable after another. "We stick to the plan. We _will_ find them and they_will_ be all right, but until then-"

"I just… I can't- I can't-" Masaki began, and Erza saw it, she was on the verge of breaking down-

"Shut up, the both of you!" Yoruichi hissed.

"Listen, you-" Erza began, feeling indignant.

"No, _shut up,_" Yoruichi said, her voice low, her head nodding toward the windows, toward the outside. Understanding, Erza nodded.

"What is it?" Masaki said, on the verge of tears. Did you-"

"Quiet." Erza said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Yoruichi nodded at them, and slowly and cautiously slipped out the door. Letting her senses reach out, Erza felt it now- a reiatsu source, not active but noticeable, with the unmistakable signature of a Quincy. For a few moments, she and Masaki waited, with baited breath, and Erza could feel her heart beating, every pulse as loud as a church bell. Then, she sensed Yoruichi moving, and seconds later…  
Well, her reiatsu sensing didn't extend that far; it had never been her strong suit- but it didn't matter, because less than a minute later Yoruichi walked in, carrying a young man with black hair over her shoulders. Unceremoniously, she dumped him on the floor.

"I know him," Masaki mumbled, nervously licking her lips, "he's one of the lesser quincies. A servant of the pure-blooded."

"Would he know where they would be?" Erza asked.

"I… think so." Masaki said.

"Then we ask," Yoruichi said. "How loyal are they, exactly?"

"…very," Masaki said. "They're conditioned to be. From birth."

"Hey, you, wake up," Erza said, deciding to wait no longer. She walked over to the young man, and shook him roughly. "I said, wake up!"

Before long, the young Quincy woke up, slowly coming to, awakening to see the terrifying visage of a very, very determined Erza Scarlet. He jerked, trying to crawl away, but Erza had a firm hold on his collar.

"Where are they?!" Masaki burst out. "Tell me where they are, you little bastard!"

"O-oh," The Quincy said. "Oh…" He said, as he began to realize where exactly he was. "Traitor… and shinigami filth…" He said the words, trying to fit in vitriol and hate, but managed to sound nervous more than anything else.

"Let me explain to you where exactly you are," Yoruichi said, kneeling by his side. "There are two very angry, very powerful women here, who really, really need some information. You can do the smart thing, and give it up, or we can-"

Still quivering with fear, the quincy spat at her, missing but making himself quite clear.

"…or it can be difficult." Yoruichi said, sighing.

"Listen, you little brat," Erza snarled, raising a fist, "you'll talk or you'll-"

"Erza, wait," Yoruichi said, holding back Erza's hand.

"What?" Erza growled.

"Come on," Yoruichi said, taking a few steps back. "You too, Masaki." Tentatively, Masaki obeyed, and Erza got on her feet, standing with Yoruichi, turned away from the Quincy.

"Well?" Erza said. She was in a bad mood before; right now it was all she could do not to lunge at the Quincy and beat him senseless. But losing her cool was probably the worst she could do, she knew that much.

"What are you planning to do?" Yoruichi said flatly.

"Beat him until he talks." Erza said bluntly.

"We should." Masaki said coldly, only her erratic breaths betraying the desperation underneath. "We should- we _have_ to find out, no matter what."

"You don't have the stomach, or the knowledge." Yoruichi said. "You best stay out of it."

"Stay out of it? It's my children- I'll do anything!" Masaki snarled.

"Have you ever tortured anybody?" Yoruichi said. "It's messy. Difficult to get right. If you, Erza," she said, looking Erza in the eye, "if you try beating him, he'll probably just end up unconscious- or dead. You don't know how to pull your punches."

"I could try," Erza said determinedly.

Yoruichi sighed. "Listen. He's young. Afraid. He doesn't want to be here. I could make him talk- I know how. But I want you outside."

"But…" Erza interjected, "I mean… torture him?"

"Just a second ago you were ready to beat him until you got what you wanted." Yoruichi said. "I just know how to do it more efficiently."

"Do it." Masaki hissed through her teeth. "Do whatever it takes. I don't care. Just… find out where they are."

"Masaki…" Erza said. The anger was washing off her a little, and she remembered where she really stood- inflicting pain on people, defenseless people, that wasn't a good thing, but…

"It's the kids, Erza!" Masaki said, a fierce desperation in her voice, "the kids! It's Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu! Don't you get it?"

"Step outside," Yoruichi said, with some resignation. "It shouldn't take too long, even without tools."

Erza shook her head, but slowly took the first step toward the door. Masaki eagerly grabbed her by the arm, and together they walked out, standing themselves just outside the building.

"Now," she could hear Yoruichi say as they walked out, "let's start asking some questions…"

It took a few minutes before the first scream came. Erza steeled herself, balling her first and forced herself to remain still. Then came, a second, and a third. Minutes passed; the noises from inside the cellar came and went, and Erza forced herself to think of Ichigo, of Yuzu, of Karin- and what the unthinkable would feel like. What it would be like if the same thing happened again, like it had happened in the past.  
And somehow, that was enough. She wasn't sure quite when, but sometime later Yoruichi came out, with a bit of blood on her hands.

"Follow me," she said simply. Again, they sped away.

* * *

Yoruichi led them to a ground level apartment, a few miles away. They stopped a few hundred yards away, suppressing their reiatsu as best they could. From the roof they stood on, the place looked suspiciously deserted. Karakura was not the most densely populated part of Tokyo, but it was still a city. Yet, nobody seemed to be within view of the place.

"What are we waiting for?" Masaki said, producing a quincy cross from somewhere- who knew where she had kept it, but it seemed she hadn't let go of her heritage entirely. "Let's go get them- I can feel them inside, right there-" She took a step forward, but Erza put a hand on her shoulder.

"Easy now," she said. "We can't barge in there without the first clue. We need to take them by surprise, or they might end up… going for the children."  
Erza, too, could feel the beat of their reiatsu in there, faintly. They were certainly alive, although she couldn't tell much more.

"She's right," Yoruichi said. "I'll sneak in for a closer look. Do _not_ move until I get back. Is that clear?"

A tormented look passed Masaki's face, but finally she nodded. "Hurry," she said, her voice barely audible.

"Keep calm," Erza said, huddling down on one knee on the rooftop. "I know how it feels, trust me, I do- but when it matters, you _have_ to be patient."

Masaki said nothing in reply, and Erza couldn't blame her. The children were there, within their grasp, and she too wanted nothing more than to just run in, smite the evildoers and save them, consequences be damned. There was a time when she might have. But times had changed her, and she knew the risks that came with recklessness.  
Quietly, Yoruichi slipped away, moving silently. She didn't even slip into a shunpo, instead moving normally, her reiatsu completely suppressed, keeping away from vision. She was remarkably quick even so, and it was obvious that her training was still there, exile or no. She was gone perhaps ten minutes, no more, although each minute felt like an eternity. At last, though, she heaved herself back up on the rooftop, smoothly and quietly.

"Fifteen signatures," Yoruichi said, her voice calm, smooth, matter-of-factly, "five with significant power, an additional ten with lesser power."

"That would be the servants," Masaki said, nodding eagerly.

"Three rooms, not counting the kitchen and bathroom," Yoruichi continued. "The children are being kept in the room furthest back, under the guard of two servants. The others are spread out, seeming at ease. It could be a trap, but I doubt it."

"Let's go, then," Erza said, slamming her fist into her palm.

"Not until we have a plan," Yoruichi said, shaking her head. "What if their response to a frontal attack is to kill the hostages? We need strategy."

"What do you suggest, then?" Masaki said. Her face was pale white, and she was licking her lips nervously.

"I'll sneak around the back. There's a window, not too hard to break," Yoruichi explained. "I want you to wait five minutes, then charge in. Full power- make yourselves as noticeable as possible. Break in the door, engage at will. Erza, you'll lead. Masaki- I don't know how strong you are, so stay close to her and back her up. Fight them, and be ready to kill. While you do that, I'll get inside, and rush to secure the children. Clear?"

"But-" Masaki said. It was obvious she wanted to find them first, rather than play bait, but Yoruichi was having none of it.

"Listen, I have experience doing this sort of thing," she said firmly. "A lot of it, actually, and I was pretty good at it. You don't. I can get to them in less than five seconds once you have their attention, and that includes taking out the two guarding them. Leave it to me, and you'll have them back safe and sound."

"I know it's hard," Erza said, "but… she's probably right."

"You'll vouch for her?" Masaki said. "You can swear she's telling the truth?"

"She was the head of the _onmitsukidou_," Erza said, hastily adding, "the bureau of spies and assassins. Intelligence network. She's telling the truth, Masaki."

"…fine." Masaki muttered tensely. "Do it. I'll… trust you."

"Good," Yoruichi said, nodding and began climbing down again. "Remember, five minutes!"

Erza steeled herself, putting a hand on Tetsu no Tama. This was the moment of truth, and it had better work…

* * *

Suin Shizuo was standing leaned against a kitchen cabinet. He had an urge to pace back and forth; this whole operation had made his mind race. But he was a leader, the patriarch of the last Japanese Quincy clan, and he had to stay composed at all times. This operation was the first serious undertaking since his ascension, his chance to prove he was strong, decisive, unafraid. There were precious few purebloods left- his traitor cousin Ryuken aside, only he and four more were pure, and would have to breed with the best among their servants to keep the clan strong. Ten servants had come with them, meaning almost the entire clan was here.

"My lord," one of the servants said, walking in and interrupting his musings, "the children are… restless. Kago and Suki would like instructions on what to do."

"Do I need to tell them how to wipe their behinds as well?" Shizuo snapped. "They are hostages- put them in their place."

"Yes, my lord," the servant said, bowing respectfully.

"Cousin, no need to be so harsh," said Shina, the only female pureblood left. "They fear disappointing you. In time they will learn your way of leading- but until then, clear instruction should serve you well."

"I don't need your advice," Shizuo murmured. He had an urge to tell her to know her place, but she _was_ pure like himself, and that demanded respect.

"A wise leader considers the knowledge of his subjects, is that not so?" The one to speak up was his brother, Reimaru. "So venerable Soken always said."

"Soken, may the ancestors rest his soul, was a soft-hearted and-" Shizuo almost said 'weak', but stopped himself in time; it would not do to disrespect the dead so, much less a patriarch- "…cautious leader. Too cautious. Do not expect me to take his counsel, Reimaru."

"Sure, sure, brother," Reimaru said. "I still don't see the point of taking these kids, though. Not that I question your judgment, patriarch," he added hastily.

"It will be an appropriate sacrifice." Shizuo said shortly. "A tribute to the Holy One, to show to our continental brothers our dedication to Quincy ideals. Filthy half-bloods…"

"I'd have expected you to kill them outright," Shina said.

"Believe me, I want to," Shizuo said, "but-"

Then he felt it. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the bright and blazing force of a shinigami, bursting toward them- how had they been found? This was no ordinary one either. His fellow quincies felt it too, he could see, but he still cried out,  
"TO ARMS! WE'VE BEEN FOUND!" Immediately he ran out of the kitchen, into the living room. "Taji, Suzuma, get the children-"

And that was when Suin Shizuo was interrupted, as the front door was turned to splinters as Erza Scarlet burst through it. Her eyes had all the seeming of a demon, a fury risen from hell to consume them, and Shizuo almost felt afraid. However, he had long since mastered his fear, and was among the first to raise his bow toward the door. Less than half a second after the door had burst, dozens of arrows sprayed toward it, a hail of blue bolts peppering against their attacker. It was for naught, though- the shinigami had a shield and spear, and before another second had passed she had closed the distance, impaling the closest Quincy servant. The man dropped like a sack of potatoes, and the spear and shield dissolved, transforming into two blades. To make matters worse, a hail of arrows flew in from behind her, shooting down two more servants distracted by the shinigami's presence.  
Shizuo swore to himself. Masaki! Masaki, and that wretched pet shinigami of hers, somehow having found their way here. Quickly, he sensed for the servants standing guard over the hostages- but they were down and out, their reiatsu fading.

To the credit of his servants, they met their end fighting, each one stringing arrow after arrow, letting it fly. A good few hit, but it didn't even slow the red-haired, demonic berserker down, as she worked her twin blades with horrifying speed and efficiency. This was a good hiding place, but a terrible battle ground- a Quincy needed space to move, to make advantage of his speed and his bow, and this fairly small apartment was anything but. Within a matter of seconds, the servants lay dead or dying on the ground.

Erza breathed heavily. She had forced herself not to get too angry, not to lose her mind to the urge to squash these Quincies like bugs under her sandal. So far it had been a quick, messy and brutal affair. It had taken her less than half a minute to do this with Masaki. She felt the fading reiatsu of the lesser Quincies, and knew some of them were already dead. She had been hit, several times, but not in any significant way- they didn't have the power. A tall, muscular man aimed his bow at her, and judging by his reiatsu he was one of the stronger ones. Immediately charging in, Erza body-slammed him, knocking him off his feet before running both her blades into his chest. A sharp pain burst out in her arm, and she saw another strong quincy readying another shot, one arrow having already gone through her arm. He didn't get to fire another shot, though, as one of Masaki's arrows speared his neck, followed by another, and another, and finally a fourth arrow hitting right into his head. The apartment was a scene of massacre, blood spilled everywhere, and only three quincies remained. Erza kept her guard up, but didn't advance further- there was bloodshed, and then there was _needless_ bloodshed, and you had to at least try and stop. The three remaining quincies had their bows strung, but didn't fire. The one in front, a young man with short, black hair and a facial expression somewhere in between terrified and furious, looked right at her.

"It's over." Erza said. She sensed for Yoruichi, for the kids- indeed, she had made good on her promise; there were no quincies active in that room, and she herself seemed well, as did the children. "Give up."

"I'll never trust a word you have to say, shinigami," the leader spat at her.

"Erza, let me tell you this," Masaki said, walking into the apartment, bow strung. She looked so odd, in her normal clothes, but with such a fierce, angry expression and a Quincy bow strung quite readily. "If you don't kill them, I will. They are not walking out of this alive."

"Masaki…" Erza said. This was one of those times, one of those times when she didn't quite know what the right way was, and it bothered her. The mage from Fairy Tail cried to her that murder was wrong, always wrong. The mother in her, the Erza that had helped raise Ichigo, Yuzu and Karin, who cared for Orihime like her own, understood Masaki perfectly.

"If we let them go, there could be a next time. It's like you said- we can't protect them all the time," Masaki said coldly. "And next time they might do better. Next time we might not be lucky. They only have to be lucky _one time_. I'm not going to let that happen."

"Masaki, you filthy race traitor," Shizuo spat, "you are the very worst kind of scum- you deserve to see your children die, one by one, slowly and horribly. These filthy abominations, these little monsters…"

"Not helping!" Erza snapped. "You're really, really not helping!"

Quite casually, Yoruichi walked out of a room nearby, the one where they had sensed the children, looking almost offensively at ease.  
"The children are safe," she said, and Erza felt relief wash over her- and even moreso she could see it wash over Masaki, who almost lowered her bow.  
"I used a simple kido, put them to sleep," Yoruichi said. "I figured you wouldn't want them to see… this." She said, making a general gesture toward the room itself.

"Yes, yes- that's good," Masaki said, her voice strained. "But that leaves these three…"

"We can't just…" Erza began, but Yoruichi cut her off.

"What is your plan, then?" She said softly. "I'm not really one for casual murder, but this is anything but. If you don't want them dead, then do you have a better solution?"

"Or maybe we'll kill you!" Shizuo snarled, sounding almost confused, clearly not used to being talked over like this.

"Oh, please," Yoruichi said, rolling her eyes. "You're not bad, kid, but you're not going to achieve anything here."

"…damn it!" Shizuo snarled. "Retreat!" Digging something out of his pocket, he threw it at them. There was a small explosion, and Erza's vision went white for a few seconds. She blinked, as her sight began to return to normal. Masaki was blinking the same as her, and more importantly- the three remaining Quincies were gone, having jumped out a window.

"Well, I'll be damned," Yoruichi said, having closed her eyes in time. "A flash grenade. They had more foresight than I expected."

"We need to get them!" Masaki said.

"No," Erza said. "You… get the kids out of here. I'll go deal with them."

"…thank you, Erza," Masaki managed, and didn't waste a second running into the room where her children were kept. Erza took a deep breath, and jumped out the window, hot on the trail of the three Quincies. They had less than a minute's head start, but a minute was a lot when you moved faster than the eye could follow.

* * *

Shizuo fought well and hard to keep himself from swearing loudly, to cry his rage to the heavens. Just a day more, and they would have met with the Holy One, and shown their dedication! Yet here he was, having run nearly seven miles, hid on the rooftop of a skyscraper further into Tokyo city. That… damnable, damnable bitch. Carnage- his clan, his loyal quincies, cut down like wheat before a reaper's scythe. She had been monstrous, so overwhelmingly strong… Shizuo had always prided himself on his skill, his strength, and he was only second to Ryuken in his generation, but this shinigami had been… something else. Though he was furious still, he felt dread when he recalled her energy, overpowering theirs…

"Well, that didn't work out," Shina huffed, sitting herself down, her back leaned against the railing of the roof. "You think she'll come after us?"

"Oh, please," Reimaru said, also short of breath, "a shinigami? I felt her reiatsu- she was a fighter and not a tracker, no doubt about it. Besides, with us suppressing our auras, nobody should be able to find us."

"So you say," a voice came from across the roof, clear enough to stand out over the wind. The three of them jerked, turning to look at the newcomer. He was tall, had the look of a foreigner, a westerner, with his blond hair and strange clothes. He wore a white cape, and what looked like a tabard underneath it, covering a light plate armour. There were not much of any colours on him, but for a single black iron cross on his chest, and a sword hanging in its sheath by his side.

"Who-" Shizuo began, then his eyes widened. Quincy. Energy as pure as could be. Strong, powerful and radiant. "Holy One!" He burst out, his heart soaring. Taking care to act respectfully, he walked forward to face him, and bowed, nearly tripping over his own feet. "We are overjoyed to make your acquaintance, sir…"

"I am Haschwalth," The man said simply, his tone neutral.

"Hashwalth! The sternritter's leader?" Shina exclaimed, and Reimaru let out a low whistle.

"M-my lord grand master!" Shizuo exclaimed, bowing again. "We did not expect such a prestigious figure to honour our request…"

"One has to busy oneself somehow," The sternritter said calmly. "We received your message- the remaining Japanese Quincy, at last willing to co-operate with your Eurasian cousins. I personally came here to evaluate your request."

"Of-of course," Shizuo said, nodding, feeling a little overwhelmed. "I am truly sorry, but we are unable to give you the greeting an esteemed guest like yourself deserves- we ran afoul of a powerful shinigami, who butchered most of my kin. We only barely escaped just now."

"So I sensed," Haschwald said, nodding.

"As we should expect of a grand master, your senses are keen as a razor," Shizuo said. "If- if it is not too grand a request, could we count on your aid in defense of the lives of a fellow Quincy?"

"To tell you the truth, I arrived days ago," Haschwalth said, evading Shizuo's question. "I have watched your movements. I have seen your actions, my _fellow quincies_. I also saw the two shinigami set up their attack, along with another Quincy."

"S-sir?" Shizuo said, blinking. What was this? He had seen it, yet not acted, not even warned them?  
"I don't… I do not understand, Holy One."

"Kidnapping children." Haschwalth said flatly. "For what purpose, I cannot imagine."

"They were a tribute!" Shizuo exclaimed. "These foul abominations, these offenses to Quincy purity, would have belonged to the Sternritter, yours to do away with as you pleased! Proof of our dedication to Quincy ideals-"

"This is _exactly_ why your kind left for Japan in the first place," Haschwalth said. His voice was calm still, but there was a clear mark of distaste there. "Your own arrogance caused your fall from grace, and now you pitiful survivors resort to this? His Majesty would never tolerate such low behaviour. Your clan exiled itself, two centuries ago, because war broke you, because despite the most thorough thrashing imaginable, you were not at all humbled. Still arrogant, still radical and extreme, still believing blood makes you 'pure'. Look where you are now- stealing others' children from them, and expecting somebody else to clean up your own mess. This is pathetic. Some would say it had been best if your kind had all died in the last shinigami war."

Flabbergasted, Shizuo watched as Haschwalth reached for his sword, slowly pulling it out of its sheath. It was long, sleek and gray, not richly decorated but looking quite sharp; the blade of a warrior, well-used and well kept. Immediately, Shina and Reimaru were on their feet, bows drawn, acting with the reflexes of well-trained warriors. Arrows primed, aimed at the knightly Quincy, they were ready to fight- and die.

Once, when he was a child, Shizuo had seen his father perform _Hirenkyaku_ for the first time. It had seemed like magic; moving so fast from one place to the other that it seemed like you had teleported, impossible for his young eyes to follow. What happened next made him feel like a child all over again. He sensed the arrows letting loose from their bows, flying with speed at their target-

Then the next thing he knew, Haschwalth stood behind them, blood dripping from his sword. He sensed, on some level, that he had moved, but it had been _so fast_, impossible to follow. With dread, he turned around to face him. There was a dull sound as Reimaru's head dropped to the roof's floor, his body toppling. Shina still had her head on, but there was a brutal cut deep into her chest, going right through the side of her chest, where her heart was. She had a look of complete shock on her face, and might have cried if she could. But life was fading from her, fast, and she sunk to her knees.

"Shizu… o…" She said, her voice almost inaudible, as she fell over, blood flowing from her chest as her body jerked just slightly, her death throes soon stopping.

Shizuo felt the bile rising in his throat, and fought the urge to collapse, to sink down next to his dead cousins.  
"Why?!" He cried. "Why? What the hell are you doing? We are Quincies- fellow Quincies! There are so few of us left- are you mad? Why would you betray our proud legacy?"

Haschwalth pointed his sword at Shizuo, its tip only a foot away.  
"You know nothing, Suin Shizuo," he said calmly. "If you knew even the first thing about the pride and chivalry of the Knights of Vanden, you would have kept quiet and propagated your sick little cult by your lonesome. We are warriors, and we preserve and value the Quincy ways- but not at the expense of the innocent. It should be beneath us, beneath any Quincy. You value purity above all else, yet all I see before me is a low, vile and impure individual, thinking himself justified doing anything because he had the 'right' father. You may die here, knowing that you will be the last of your kind."

Shizuo felt something indescribable. How could this be? How could a fellow Quincy be like this? How could this have happened? All he had ever wanted was to rebuild the glory of the eastern Quincies!

"N-not the last…" He managed to say. Something defiant had been better, but Shizuo's mind was not very collected.

"Yes," Haschwalth said, nodding. "Better yet, you may die knowing that the only surviving people of your kind have rejected or forgotten your wretched traditions. Perhaps one day we will approach them. In all likeliness, they will be far more decent people than yourself. Although, that is not much of an achievement."

Shizuo's dread and frustration finally boiled over.  
"YOU TRAITOROUS SCU-"

He began to scream the words, but before he was halfway done speaking, his head sailed through the air, landing on the rooftop beside Reimaru's. A perpetual expression of anger was left on his face, stained by blood for eternity.  
Quietly, Haschwald flicked the blood off his blade.

It had taken Erza some time to find them. She was not the best of trackers, and had nearly despaired of tracing them down when she caught their signature, high up on a tall building. It had flared up quickly, then faded just as soon, but there was no mistaking it. Within the minute, Erza had sped up through the air, landing on the edge of the rooftop, her sword out and ready.

"All right then, you-" She began. Then she saw it, and she blinked. Two heads, severed from their bodies. One with half her chest cut through. Large amounts of blood, pooling together from the three bodies. She nearly winced; this was unexpected. She was used to this, though, too used to it, and her eye immediately turned to the figure standing beside the bodies, casually wiping a longsword on a piece of cloth, before sheathing it. He was a different sort, Erza noticed- the kind most women would call handsome, and wearing a strange getup not so different from something she had once worn. Armour, fine plate, covered by a white robe with a single black cross on its chest. He didn't feel too powerful, not at first glance, but she could feel the thrum of reiatsu beneath- unmistakably Quincy, unmistakably powerful.

"Hey!" She cried out, not sure what to make of this. "What did you do?"

"I killed them." The man said simply, not even bothering to shrug. "I evaluated their call for aid. They were unworthy."

"Well…" Erza said, still nervously hanging on to her sword. He didn't seem hostile, but under the circumstances, she was not about to drop her guard.

"This is Quincy business." The man said. "I believe your business is finished as well, now that the children are safe."

Erza didn't reply. How did he know? Had he been spying? Uncertainly, she pointed her sword at him.  
"You have some explaining to do," she said, looking at the three dead bodies, then back up to him.

"I really have no need to explain anything," he said, pulling up a hood from his cape, "and I have no interest in fighting you. I do not desire your death, shinigami."

"You sound awfully sure you'd win," Erza said. "I've surprised people who said that before."

He gave her a look, and she could practically feel him sensing her.  
"You are strong," he said simply. "Very strong. Even moreso when pushed to your limits, I would wager. It would not be enough."  
With that, he turned around, and dashed away, and in a mere second he had nearly gotten out of vision.

"HEY!" Erza cried. What the hell was going on? Who was he- and why was a Quincy killing Quincies? With a sword, at that? "COME BACK!"  
For a second, she considered going after him, but he was fast- impossibly fast, even. With how hard it had been to track just these three, following him seemed pointless- and he was right. Her business was done, and the three Quincies were no longer a problem. Sighing, Erza jumped off the rooftop, and headed back.

* * *

A little while later, Haschwalth landed well outside Tokyo city, and perched on a flat rock by a pond, awaiting his travelling partner. This had been an ugly errand- not particularly scarring, nor very difficult mentally or physically, but… ugly. It was all too easy to think oneself above the rest of mankind simply because of having discovered immortality and immense power, or for living with a purpose greater than most if not all humans, but this visit had been a reminder that no one group was above corruption. This clan had been Quincy, and not even shoddy ones- though far below him in terms of accumulated strength and experience, they had preserved the skills of their forebears remarkably well. Yet for all that, they had become corrupt, extreme and vile, a blemish on all that it meant to be a Quincy. It was a reminder that with power came the risk of corruption, that blind adherence to tradition was nothing more than dogma, blind faith; a narrowing of the mind, a cage for the intellect and the death of independent thinking.

He was the grand master of the knights of Vanden, second only to his majesty, and he had spent his life in selfless service to his order, yet he would think it foolish to assume that he was pure, that he would not be corrupted and consumed by zealous certainty if he let his belief become pure faith, such as it had been with the Japanese Quincies. This errand had been a grim reminder of the worst among their kind, and though he felt a little ashamed to admit it even to himself, their deaths had brought him more relief than regret. Thoughtfully, he ran a couple of fingers over the leg-plate of his armour, its rigidity and strength reassuring him. Before too long, he would be required to change out of it in favour of a suit, to board a plane back to Germany. He always hated the change- being out of his plate mail always made him feel naked; having worn it for a millennium made it feel like a second layer of skin, like taking it off made him naked.

His ponderings were interrupted, as his lone companion sailed through the air, landing less than gracefully- but with perfect ease- a few yards away. He had sensed her, of course, but had paid it little mind. Having the time to think by yourself was an underrated everyday pleasure, he had found, and he relished the opportunity to do so.

"Paladin Bambietta," he said, in acknowledgment of her presence.

"Haschwalth," she said, nodding. "Man, what a pain in the ass mission…"

"As I recall, you were the one who explicitly asked to come along," Haschwalth said coolly. "Something along the lines of 'this fuckin' castle is so boring I could kill myself', I believe."

"Oh, being holed up at base is _worse,_ don't get me wrong," Bambietta said, rolling her eyes.  
She looked young, as most of the senior knights did, but she was over four centuries old. Her black hair, and the way she scowled, would have lent her immense dignity if not for how she seemed to consider dignity equivalent to, as she put it, 'having a stick up your ass'. She was fierce, loud and outgoing, and though Haschwalth was a consummate professional, he didn't mind her attitude much. Not that he would ever admit it.  
"It's just that this boring ass country don't make no goddamn sense," she continued. "Can ya believe how many spiritually aware people there was in that town? Are all of them like this?"

"It's a local phenomenon, I believe," Haschwalth said, only half paying attention. "Did you carry out your orders?"

"Sure, sure," Bambietta said, shrugging and putting a hand to the sabre at her side, her chosen spirit weapon. "Complete extermination. Every last Quincy in that clan is toast. That's to say, I cut 'em with the sharp edge of my sword. Till they died. From all the bleeding and fatal injuries."

"No survivors?"

"None, zilch, nada," Bambietta said. "I didn't say 'kinda sorta exterminated a little bit', I said _complete_ extermination."

Haschwalth furrowed his brows. "You did not touch the innocent ones? I explicitly told you-"

Bambietta let out an annoyed groan, rolled her eyes, and said,  
"No, mister supreme grand master, sir, I _didn't_ lay a finger on those ex-quincies or their half-breed children." Mockingly, she put on a deep voice, and a deliberately poor imitation of Haschwald:  
"You are not to touch those innocent to the corruption of these Quincies. If you do, I can't touch myself thinking about honor and justice and we really can't have that, Paladin Bambietta Basterbine."

"Very well." Haschwalth said, and nodded.

"After all," Bambietta said, continuing her mockery, "where would we be without our great and grand ideals like justice, truth and saving puppies from-"

"Enough." Haschwalth's voice did not go up, but there was a firm enough edge to his tone that Bambietta knew to shut up. She was disrespectful, crude and vulgar, but she at least knew her place- if only when she had to.

"Was this really necessary?" She asked, after a few moments of silence. "I mean, not that I _mind_ butchering these shitty people," she added hastily, "but you'd think we'd want our fellow Quincies to not die. Even if they're assholes."

"His majesty sent me here to evaluate them," he said simply, his voice the vocal equivalent of a shrug. "He hoped that perhaps the time spent in isolation after their defeat would have humbled them; made them better people. I disbelieved it, but I do not resent being sent here- they were worth the benefit of the doubt, at least."

"Seems not, if we just killed all of them," Bambietta said.

"It's a matter of principle," Haschwalth said, and knew the kind of face Bambietta would make seconds before she made it. "We had to give them a chance. As it turned out, they were more extreme than ever, resorting to kidnapping, even being delusional enough to think we would approve of their actions. So it was my decision to get rid of them for good. The world needs not a cabal of frothing zealots with too much power for their own good."

"Well, good thing _we're_ not zealous." Bambietta said cheerily. "What's that the oath to his majesty says? Complete and absolute loyalty?" She grinned.

"Do not mock his majesty!" Haschwalth said firmly. "He has earned our trust-"

"Just fucking with ya," Bambietta said with a grin. "Tell you the truth, this trip wasn't so bad. Nothing to get your blood flowing like making other people's blood flow."

Haschwalth took a deep breath, and resisted the urge to sigh. He had the patience of a saint, but Bambietta had a way of trying him- or most people around her- like a devil.

"Let us go," he said, standing up. "There is no need to dally here."

"Fine by me," Bambietta said, shrugging. "Can we stop for ice cream first, though?"

"…if you must." Haschwalth muttered. _Like a devil…_

* * *

That night, the children were sluggish. Yoruichi had assured them the kido's effect would wear off after a good night's sleep before darting away to her own business, and after seeing them home safely, Erza agreed to stay the night. It did not take much convincing to put them to bed, and after making a quick call about Isshin- he was recovering just fine- Masaki made them a warm cup of tea, and the two of them more or less collapsed on the couch. Masaki managed a single sip before her hand started to shake, and she spilled a fair amount before she quickly put the cup down at the table. Her shoulders heaved; her entire body seemed to shake, and Erza quickly put an arm around her, pulling her in close.  
She didn't cry, didn't make much of any noises for a good while, just shaking, and Erza held her firmly in her arms. She knew how she felt, even though it had been a long time since she herself had been that shaken- nothing could have prepared Masaki for this kind of trauma, while most of Erza's life had been hard enough to harden her without breaking her.

"There, there," she mumbled, hoping she was saying the right things. "They're safe now. We got them out. It's safe. We did good. Everything's fine now, everything's fine…"

"They almost got them, Erza," Masaki whimpered, her voice little more than a squeal, "if-if that Urahara hadn't helped us, if Yoruichi hadn't-"

"We'd have got them back." Erza said firmly. "Somehow, no matter what. What matters is, we _did_ get them back, safe and sound. They're safe now, and this- this will never happen again."

"…you're sure they're all dead?" Masaki said, breathing heavily. "You didn't let them go?"

"I'm very sure," Erza mumbled. She hadn't yet told Masaki of the blond, armoured man- she had no idea what to make of it. He didn't seem like an enemy. But you could never know…

"Thank you, Erza," Masaki mumbled, still leaned onto her friend, "I… I know it was hard for you to do that, but… it had to be…"

"I know, I know," Erza said, nodding uncomfortably. She sighed, leaned back and stared up into the roof. "…it's not the first time I've killed, anyway."

"Oh?" Masaki said, still sounding shaky, but a little more composed. "You never talk about your old life, and I don't try to pry…"

"I killed a man to save the life of a close friend." Erza said simply. "He was a criminal, and a ruthless thug. Many would have said he deserved to die. Even so, it weighed on my conscience."

"Why, though?" Masaki said. "I'm not saying it shouldn't, but…"

"It seems justified? Yes, it does." Erza said, looking Masaki in the eyes. "I… well…" She took a deep breath, and sighed. "Back when I was still alive, in another world, I lived in a guild. It was… like a very large family, I suppose. We had… a code, of sorts. A set of values. Killing wasn't one of them. It wasn't something we discussed, because we weren't the philosophical sort, we just sort of… didn't kill people. If at all possible. Because… that's something you can't take back, and who can say I have that right?"

"I thought you weren't philosophical?" Masaki replied. Good- a comeback. She was getting distracted from the shock of things, which was reason enough to continue.

"I'm not, not really," Erza mumbled, "but everyone thinks these things, don't they?"

"They do," Masaki said, nodding. "But… did you think those things when you broke down the door and cut those Quincies down?"

Erza didn't answer, but kept her eyes steady, looking right at Masaki.

"I know I didn't. I shot to kill, each time," Masaki continued, "even though I know all their names. Even though I grew up around most of these people. I'm not sorry…" She stopped herself. "Well, in a way I am. I wish it didn't have to be like that. But when I lined up an arrow, when I took aim and released, I couldn't care less. They had my children, and… I would kill every one of them to get them back if I had to. If they were on their knees begging for mercy, I'd kill them still if it meant getting them back."

Erza shifted uncomfortably. This kind of talk scared her a little; it reminded her of how far somebody could go if only they thought they were right. She couldn't be sure how much of this Masaki meant; you said strange and extreme things when you were very upset, but it was unsettling still.

"I didn't… think about that then, no," Erza admitted awkwardly.

"That's what I mean," Masaki said quietly. "When the things that matter, that really matter are at stake, then what you think is right and wrong doesn't matter. It's like… I don't know. A luxury?"

"It's not a luxury," Erza said, quietly but firmly. "It's part of what makes us what we are. But… I understand. It's not like I was some naïve, moralizing idealist even back then. I was…" She trailed off, and remembered her childhood. A painful place, one she was not willing to share- not just yet. "I know a lot about human cruelty. More than you do, I think. And maybe 'right' and 'wrong' don't always matter. Maybe they don't even exist, who knows? But I'm going to act like they do, and you should too."

"Of course," Masaki said, nodding. "Thank you, Erza… for everything."

"It was nothing," Erza said weakly, managing a smile. It had been no herculean feat to beat those Quincies, yet the experience had left her drained. "You know… one day you're really going to have to tell your kids the truth."

"Maybe." Masaki said, in a tone that made it sound like an unambiguous 'no'. "Not… not yet, though."

Erza felt the urge to protest, to lecture her, to tell her she had nearly lost her children just now because they weren't protected- but now was not the time. Quietly, she sat there on the couch, Masaki leaning on her, and Erza leaning on Masaki. _One day,_ she thought, _one day they have to know, no matter what Masaki thinks…_

But not today.

* * *

**And there we have it my friends! The first appearance, of the vandenreich! Oh wait im sorry, not the vandereich, the knights of vanden!**

**Some of you may be curious as to why this change was done. Its not because I didnt like them. I actually find the concept super interesting. A bunch of Quincys hidding away waiting for revenge on soul reapers for the genocide the suffered, while acting like Nazis? Its so crazy that I love it. I got a "empire from star wars" vibe from them.**

**But Greatkingratt...well, he dosnt like them. Period. I don't blame him. The potential, while great, wasn't what we got. I only ever really liked 9 out of the 26 stern ritter. In fact, here's some words from him.**

**Greatkingratt88: "****So as you may have noticed, we made some changes to the Vandenreich. Radical changes. Let me just be frank here: I hate the Vandenreich. I hate the arc they appear. I hate their themes, I hate their hax, I hate their stupid Nazi uniforms. I hate most of everything about them. I mean, psychotic quincy Nazis? Really?**

**So in mutual agreement with my friend we have decided to do something cool instead. We're exchanging the Nazi coats for a coat of arms and steel armour. These are teutonic knights, and they are nowhere near the excessive villainy of their canonical counterparts. Expect heavy changes, both to their themes, their powers and their characters as well. Some will be downright cut out. The Vandenreich arc is one of the worst in bleach, and I intend to do my best to rectify this, and this includes a major makeover. We already have ghost samurai and Spanish superghosts, so throwing in European knights into the mix makes perfect sense. **

**The ridiculous stuff, like a Mexican wrestler? Or the letter L? GONE. Powers will be overhauled, modified, and changed to be less gimmicky, and more logically consistent. This is exactly what fan fiction is for. **

**That's all. Peace out!"**

**...Yeah he dosnt like them...At all. (One of the MANY different opinions we have over bleach and Fairy Tail.) Now while I actually LIKE Mask D Masculine (Not pepe though...FUCK that guy. So glad Liltotto ate him.**

**So I had to think of a way to make them work for the both of us...and while doing so, I came across a rumor. Apperently, the orignal idea for the vandreich wasnt for them to be Nazis...but more like Knights. Crusaders. Knights of a holy order.**

**I knew once i heard that rumor, that we HAD to go this route. Its a fun idea, coming up with what stays the same, what changes, everything!**

**The knights of vanden are a VERY different group from their cannon counter parts. Ive kept the things ive liked, but the group isnt going to be killing their own men just for failure. Their actually GOOD people...Ok, MOST of them. Still got some bad apples here and there, but what group dosnt?**

**I could go into so much more detail...but where the fun in that? Half the fun of reading a story for the first time is the mystery of NOT knowing whats going to happen next. **

**One last thing. This was the FINAL chapter before cannon. Thats right my friends, as of next chapter, we are going to be in the substitute soul reaper arc! THIS ive waited years for. I have alot of great things planned that im sure youll all love.**

**Thanks for reading. PLEASE leave a review and let us know what you thought of this chapter. Reviews are our main motivators after all.**

**(Also Fairy Tail chapter 470...HOLY SHIT I KNEW ACNOLOGIA WAS TOUGH BUT...HOLY SHIT!) **


	25. Asterisk

**This is it everyone, the beginning of substitute soul reaper arc. Id like to thank each and every one of you who has favorited and followed this story, and a special thank you to those of you who left a review. **

**Special shout outs go to wolfdude16, draconichero21 Bleached Guest, Kenshinverse, XenotheWise135, Alpenwolf, NoNameAvailable Bis, harlequin320 and Evan deivant. I cant thank you guys enough for the support, as well as everyone else who has left a review, they mean a lot to us. But before I go into any more details however, the writer wished to leave some words regarding where we are at.**

**"Well, here we are at last! Canon comes around, and we do it our own way. Word to the wise- if you expect a faithful retelling of the canon, this might not be the fic for you. It would be completely and unforgivably boring not to mix things up a little- and mix them up, we will. Not radically, but enough that we make it more than just telling you the story we already know. So if you're a canon purist, please don't complain to us- we're doing our own thing from hereon out. Most of it will be the same, but some things won't. Cheers!"**

**Well said GKR, Our version of the events that will transpier will be VERY different from cannon. This should be rather obvious since Masaki is still alive, and Orihime lives next door to Ichigo. Many other things will be different however, many of which you should be able to spot in this chapter. But enough of us rambling on, enjoy.**

**Thank you once again Greatkingrat88**

**Also, I really hope you readers can understand why I titled this chapter what I did. If your a bleach fan you should know.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

_"We stand in awe before that which cannot be seen. We respect with every fiber of our being that which cannot be explained." _

_-Tite Kubo_

* * *

Life was funny. Kurosaki Ichigo, fifteen years of age, had no real cause to complain, really- he had been raised with two loving parents, his teen years so far had carried considerably less angst than TV dramas would lead you to believe, and he got good grades in school. He'd fight punks who singled him out for his hair every now and then, but his more than proficient karate usually made that a very one-sided affair, and the two times so far he had got busted up badly, his auntie had hunted the guilty parties down and delivered beat-downs of epic proportions- his auntie did not mess around, didn't care if you were a girl or a boy, a child or an adult, and the people at his school whispered with terror about the demon woman who had adopted Orihime and looked out for that Kurosaki punk like one of her own.  
Yes, life was not at all bad, for a period where things were supposed to be hard, frightening and confusing. But it was funny. There were hiccups. Like the ghosts, for example. He had been able to see them for as long as he could remember, and in his youth, he had innocently told his mother about it. Each time she had laughed it off and told him he was being silly. Then, as he got older, the tone had got firmer, and she had told him in no uncertain terms that it was one thing to play make-believe when you were small, but he was a big boy now and big boys didn't make stupid things like that up.

Eventually, he had stopped asking. But he had never stopped seeing them. He saw spirits floating around town, rarely staying for long- he assumed they passed on somehow. Old men and women with wrinkles on their faces and glasses over their eyes, as if poor eyesight somehow carried over after death. Middle aged men dead of heart attacks, people dead from accidents. Most disturbing were the children, sometimes with blood still on their faces. But Ichigo never shied away from them, never treated them as less, and greeted them politely whenever they came in his way. They never stayed long, but there were always ghosts- spirits, lost souls, whatever you wanted to call them.  
His mother had a track record of being right, as mothers tended to do, but Ichigo could always see them plain as day. They were no illusion, no fevered dreams dreamed up by a mind in flux by illness or trauma. They could not be touched, completely ethereal and partly see-through, but they seemed entirely real still. This left only one creeping suspicion as the reasonable alternative: He, Kurosaki Ichigo, was insane. Lost in his own mind, treating hallucination like reality, with delusions that could become dangerous one day. That had caused him no great deal of stress since he had realized it, roughly around the age of twelve, but as the days passed he had learned to cope. Sometimes, he got the impression his dad knew something, that maybe he saw them too- the odd glance, the strange look here and there when his mother wasn't looking, but Ichigo had never dared ask. Maybe one day he'd end up in an asylum; that fear had haunted him for years- but for now, he was fairly sure at least his friends were real, that at least his family was real, and if they weren't- well, then he didn't want reality anyhow. Life was refreshing when you knew you were a bit mad, Ichigo had come to realize. It gave you a perspective nobody else had.

He had a good family. But something was odd, and always had been, even ghosts aside. He had never had it explained to him where his auntie Erza had come from, for one, only that it was very far away- which seemed strange, because she looked and sounded very much Japanese. His mother was kind and loving, but there was something she wasn't saying- Ichigo nurtured a vain hope that it had to do with ghosts, and that perhaps he wasn't crazy after all.  
Then there was his cousin. Ishida Uryu was a serious, rather grumpy kind of boy, and difficult to spend time with. The two of them had clashed often, but his mother had insisted, since the time that they were young, that they needed to let him in on their little circle because he did not have friends. That entire family was a mystery- the Ishida, he had learned, were all dead except for Uryu and his dad. How that happened, nobody would say. He kept feeling like there was a secret he was not supposed to know, just around the corner…  
Or perhaps that was just delusion, paranoia and other crazy people things.

"Hey Ichigo, move your butt!" Tatsuki cried from a distance, Orihime beside her. They were out of Karakura, out of Karakura, in the neighbouring city of Takahama for a martial arts tournament. It had taken some convincing to let him go along, by himself, but his auntie had come to the rescue and finally his mother had let him go, to Ichigo's relief. He was at the delicate age where image mattered, even if the only person who cared you looked stupid was yourself.

"I'm coming!" Ichigo yelled back. "Just a second, all right?"  
He kneeled by the pavement, on the road to the hotel they had booked for the weekend, and picked up a small glass bottle, turned over, water spilled out, flowers lying on the asphalt to dry. A small girl had died here, hit by a car, and people had left their tributes- and because humans are mean-spirited, some punks had knocked it over. Carefully, one by one, he picked the flowers up, and put them back in the bottle. There was barely any water left, and they would dry out in just a day, but it was better than nothing.

"Thank you, big brother," the ghost of the small girl mumbled. She was young, at least three years younger than his little sisters, and there was a pang in his chest as he looked at her, half her face covered in blood, but still smiling, her pigtails hanging freely from her head. She deserved at least some form of respect, even if he could do nothing else.

"Don't mention it," Ichigo mumbled quietly, partly to hide the emotion in his voice, partly to hide the fact that he was talking to something that was probably not real. "I gotta go now, so… just pass on soon, why don't ya? You're not gonna get anywhere here."

"I'll try," The ghost said, nodding bravely. "Good night, big brother."

"Good night," Ichigo murmured, and stood up, walking over to an impatient Tatsuki, and a cheery-as-always Orihime.

"Sheesh, honouring the dead?" Tatsuki said. "You have the face of a punk, but you're a boy scout on the inside, Ichigo,"

Ichigo shrugged. "Just seemed the right thing to do, that's all. Besides, we're in no hurry, are we? You wiped the floor with the competition today- you should celebrate, not gape at me."

"They were strong…" Tatsuki said tentatively, not wanting to seem to prideful. Then, unable to resist, she gave him a small grin. "All right, I was way stronger, but I wouldn't say I _wiped the floor_ with them. Besides, that was only the lower bracket- tomorrow is gonna be way harder."  
Tatsuki had real talent for karate, and a passion for the art of it, enough that Ichigo could see her becoming a professional- she wasn't Karakura's regional representative in the Tokyo championships for nothing.

"I know you can do it, Tatsuki!" Orihime said happily, putting one hand around her shoulder. "There's no way you'll lose! If you do, I'm officially the cyborg lord abzorbaloff of the raxacoricofallipatorian empire!"  
Orihime, for her part, was… weird. There was no other way to put it. A good kind of weird, but also quite bizarre. Having grown up under his auntie Erza, who was best described as 'blunt, unconventional' when it came to how she approached the world in general, certainly hadn't done much to take the edge off.

"Cyborg lord. Right," Ichigo said, and couldn't help but smile. The two of them were his closest friends, and though he had been teased about it in middle school, they had never stopped meaning something to him. "Well, you're the same as always. Let's get going, yeah?"

"Agreed," Tatsuki huffed. The trio of teenagers walked down the street, quite alone- Takahama was not a large city, and it was not crowded after night, the people having gone to sleep, only a few street lights keeping the pavement illuminated. The summer night was pleasant to walk in, warm but not too warm, and Ichigo looked forward to a quick shower and then a good night's sleep.  
He thought nothing of it when a chill passed through the street, a gale coming seemingly from nowhere with the cold of winter in it. He shivered, and crossed his arms, and soon it passed.

"The heck was that?" Tatsuki muttered. "It's supposed to be summer, isn't it?"

"Probably nothing," Ichigo said, and shrugged. They walked on, but not half a minute passed before another gale swept the street, causing them all to shiver.

"This don't make sense," Tatsuki grumbled. "Come on, the hotel is only a couple blocks away,"

"It's probably the frost giants," Orihime said, her tone having that bit of distance and awe she got when she began imagining things. "That, or global warming. Do you think there are global warming giants? That would explain SO MUCH-"

Orihime's tirade was cut short, as there was a thud in front of them. Something had landed in the street, leaping down from above. In the dim street light, Ichigo couldn't quite make it out- it was tall, ludicrously tall, stood on all fours like a gorilla…  
Then it turned around, and Ichigo looked into the face of terror. A white mask for a face. Giant teeth. Clawed hands. He froze, feeling the chill all over his body, standing paralyzed. Quickly, he looked at Orihime and Tatsuki- Orihime looked confused, but Tatsuki, just like him, stared directly at the monster. If he hadn't been so pants-shittingly terrified, Ichigo would have wondered what that was all about. As it was, his mind was overwhelmed with fear- he wanted to run away, to move his legs, to get out of there, but somehow he couldn't. It was as if he had become paralyzed, frozen in place, helpless before this… thing.  
The monster let out a low, rumbling chuckle, as if he was well aware of this effect. He was maybe ten yards away, and slowly, taking small steps, he advanced. Ichigo breathed raggedly, almost panicking. He could feel the breath of it, stinking like a rotten corpse, its teeth stained with dried, brown blood. If he had been able to move, his next impulse- aside from running away- would have been nausea, throwing up all over the pavement. The monster slowly reached out with one clawed arm, toward Tatsuki, and with horror Ichigo began to realize that this was it, this was how they died-

Then there was the slightest change in the wind, and Ichigo suddenly felt himself able to move. Seemingly from nowhere, a figure dashed at the monster, cutting deep into its arm with a sword. It roared, and swung at the swordsman hard and fast, but the figure jumped over him. Blood dripped from the creature's arm, and it turned around to face the new arrival, away from him, away from Tatsuki and Orihime.

"I am over here, monster!" The figure cried, and Ichigo realized it was a woman. He blinked, and looked at her, standing further down the street, sword held high and at the ready, fearlessly confronting the monster. She wore black, an old-fashioned kind of kimono that looked oddly familiar, and her hair was quite black. The monster, for its part, growled and positioned itself to attack, seeming to take her seriously despite how much larger and fiercer it looked.

"Ho-holy crap," Tatsuki mumbled, blinking. "What the hell IS that thing?" She turned to look to Orihime, who had fallen over, seemingly unconscious. "Damn it!"

Ichigo for his part was still paralyzed, although not quite like before. He could not turn away, not look elsewhere. Something in him wanted- no, _needed_\- to see what happened here. The logical thing would have been to run, to hide, to let this strange warrior buy them the time they needed, but Ichigo was at a place far from rationality and calculated thinking. There was an unthinking awe in his mind, as he watched the battle commence.  
The monster growled again, and lunged forward. With the calculated precision of a veteran, the woman jumped to the side, her blade once more cutting at the creature's forearm. It didn't seem to do much more than draw blood, though- it seemed to have thick skin. Nevertheless, the black-robed warrior went on the offensive, using an arm as a springboard, launching herself toward its masked face. She seemed intent on cutting its head, but the monster quickly brought an arm up, and swatted her away. The warrior was sent flying, but recovered mid-air, landing on a slide. The monster had taken the initiative, though, and had already leapt at her, swinging furiously with its clawed arms. The warrior defended, dodged and parried, but it was clear she was being pushed back.

_Run away,_ the reasonable part of his mind said. _Run away. Your friends need you. You might die. Run!_  
But something had snapped in Ichigo's mind, and the voice of reason was quashed. Looking around for something, anything at all, he grabbed a brick from the street, and ran after the monster. He had no idea what he was doing; not the smallest amount of thought had gone into this. He just knew he had to do _something_, because the warrior woman was in trouble and she might die if he just ran.

"HEY!" He cried at the beast, as he ran closer. "HEY, YOU UGLY PIECE OF CRAP! I'M RIGHT HERE!"  
With gusto, he threw the brick at it. It was a good, accurate throw, and could have cracked the skull of the typical human being. It simply bounced off the monster's thick hide, though. Ichigo refused to let up, shouting abuse at it.

"You fool!" The shinigami cried, pushed back by the monster. A swipe of the monster's paw hit her, and she only barely recovered. Ichigo paid it no mind, running right up to the monster. He saw a pipe lying on the ground, rusty and broken, and grabbed it. It would do nothing, probably, but Ichigo still took it in both hands, and swung at the monster with all he had. Finally, it growled and slowly turned its head toward Ichigo. Faced with a close-up view of its gaping maw, huge teeth and rotting pieces of flesh still stuck in it, Ichigo started to realize that this might not have been the wisest choice. Still too far gone to turn back, he defiantly raised the pipe.  
The hollow took two steps back, planted its forearms firmly on the ground, opened its mouth wide, and jumped. As if the world slowed down, Ichigo could see it coming- right at him, much too fast, intent to bite him in half in one swift move…

And then, for the second time that night, the warrior came to his aid. As if from nowhere, as if spirited away by magic- hadn't she been knocked back ten, twenty yards just seconds ago?- she appeared in front of him, sword at the ready. The mouth came down on her, and though her sword blocked it partly, Ichigo could hear the teeth bite into her, hear the crunch of flesh and bone snapping under the pressure. Desperately the warrior raised one hand, and a flash of blue light surged out, striking the monster in the eye. It roared, staggered back, shaking its head around furiously.  
The warrior sunk to her knees, just barely holding herself upright, and Ichigo hurried to her side. In the moonlight, he could see fairly well- blood was pouring copiously from under her kimono, and at least one arm seemed broken.

"Damn…" She managed, her voice ragged, struggling to breathe.

"I'll- I'll find help-" Ichigo said, realizing how stupid he had to sound. What kind of help would you find for this kind of thing? This was bad- even if they ran, they couldn't possibly hope to get away from a monster so big, so fast. If they didn't find a way, right here and now, Orihime and Tatsuki would be dead. So would he, so would the warrior woman bleeding on the pavement.

"Listen," the woman said, looking him in the eye. She was beautiful, one part of his mind noted- the one that wasn't terrified to the bone. "Do you… do you want to live?" She sounded hesitant, as if not sure what to do. "Do you want to save your friends?"

"Anything it takes," Ichigo said resolutely.

"You should have run away…" She murmured, and held up her sword. "But there is a way. Will you trust me on this?"

"What choice do I have?" Ichigo said simply. The monster was still reeling, but it seemed to have recovered. They had seconds, at best. "Here," the woman said, raising her sword arm. It trembled a little, and it seemed to take more than a little effort to hold it upright. "Take the blade… and stab it in your heart."

"Wh-what?" Ichigo said. The sword looked very deadly, with a dull glimmer in the moonlight on its grey blade, and running a weapon into himself was probably the last thing Ichigo would have considered.

"It will give you some of my power," The woman said weakly. "Enough to defeat it. It's not very strong- I would have won if I didn't have to…"

Ichigo felt a pang of guilt. She wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for him- he had tried to help, and it had made things worse. And to make matters worse, the monster was looking right at them now, ready to charge. This was mad. This whole situation was mad. This whole night was mad.  
But then again, Ichigo was mad already, and if this was a delusion then he might as well run with it.  
"All right," he said, hesitantly grabbing hold of the blade with one hand, reaching down to grab the hilt with another.

"Just one thing," the woman said, a defiant look on her face, "I'm Kuchiki Rukia."

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Ichigo said with a grin. He felt her hand push upward, and defying every survival instinct he had, he pushed with her, letting the blade go closer and closer to his chest. He was terrified. The monster itself had scared him; what it was going to do to his friends had terrified him, and now a sword was about to lodge itself in his chest, on the assurance of some stranger that it would help. Mad, it was.

To hell with it.

Smoothly and easily, it slid into his chest. Ichigo had only ever seen swords in a museum before, and had never spent much thought on what it would be like to get stabbed by one. He imagined it would involve an overwhelming pain, and had steeled himself accordingly. But rather than a sword cutting into flesh, like a knife through lunch meat, it slid neatly into his ribcage with hardly any resistance. For a second, he felt shocked- there was no pain, no ripping of muscles, sinews and organs, no blood gushing…  
For just a second, he was surprised. Then it happened, an overwhelming sensation as if every cell in his body had come on fire, lit up like a light bulb sparked by electricity. At first he thought it was pain, but it was simply shock- a new, alien experience that somehow just felt_right_. Something inside Ichigo exploded, like a dam bursting, and he could feel power coursing through his entire body. The whole process took but a few seconds, but he could have talked about it for hours; a sensation nearly indescribable. It was like being awake for the first time in his life, like he could feel every part of his body work…  
Stumped, in awed, he looked down on his body. He wore the same kind of black robes that the woman- Rukia had worn. In his hands were a blade, well over five feet long, thick and wide. And, he noticed, by his feet lay he himself, his own body still and motionless. That… was disturbing, but he had more pressing concerns, like the monster ahead of him. The beast had stopped, mid-charge, as if surprised by the power radiating from this new enemy. Resolutely, Ichigo took the hilt of the sword in both hands, and assumed what he hoped was a good stance. He had never had much of any training in kendo, and it would probably be more like whacking it with a very sharp stick- but with the power Ichigo felt right now, that would probably be enough.

The monster growled, apparently ready to take its chances, and began to move forward. Not waiting for it to take the lead, Ichigo charged in, bringing the sword down hard. The monster tried to block with one arm, but Ichigo's blade cut keep, enough that he could feel it graze bone, and the monster roared with pain and staggered back. Quickly, Ichigo followed up with a sideways cut across the chest, and the monster staggered back.

"Hit it across the mask!" Rukia cried out. "It will be purified, and die instantly!"

Well past the point of questioning any part of this madness, Ichigo immediately ran forward, raising his sword high. He jumped into the air, part of him noting that he was jumping _way_ higher than he should be able to, especially considering the enormous hunk of metal he was carrying, and brought the sword down. The monster shrieked, tried to get away, but it was too late. With all the grace of a club smashing into bone, the sword's edge collided with the mask. The impact all but shattered it, pieces of white flying to each side, and Ichigo just barely landed on his feet. The monster roared, desperately clawed at its face- and then, most remarkably, it simply began to… disintegrate, as if every particle holding it together had decided to part ways. Ichigo gaped, and was glad there was nobody watching his stupefied expression. He had beaten it. _Easily._ The threat was gone, and some part of his mind reminded him that if there was ever a time to say something cool, now was it.

"Yeah…" He said tamely. "That, uh, that'll teach you."

Smooth.

He turned back to Rukia, sword resting on his shoulder. "So… this is the power of… well, what _is_ this power, actually?"

"We are shinigami," Rukia said. "Long story."

"Shinigami. Right." Ichigo said, realizing he sounded much too skeptical. "You know… that actually makes perfect sense. The great, evil thingy I just killed?"

"…a hollow." Rukia said. She was barely sitting up, the blood flow seeming to have stopped.

"And another me just lying on the ground?" Ichigo said, looking at his body nervously. It was weird seeing his own face from the outside- unsettling, even. He looked closely, and it seemed he- it?- was at least breathing.

"The you that walks and talks right now, that is your soul," Rukia explained. "And that, over there, is your body. Come here, and I'll take back the power and make you whole again."

"…all right," Ichigo said, realizing it almost felt disappointing to go back; he enjoyed this, the rush, the power, the enormous sword. Even so he complied, and walked over to the body.  
"So, now what?"

"Just let me do my work…"

* * *

And then Ichigo woke up with a start, and looked up from under the comfortable covers of a hotel bed. Feeling a bit stiff, he slowly sat himself up. He had a slight headache, an odd ache in his body on the whole, and blinked heavily at the sunlight shining in through the window. The first thing he noticed was that he was still wearing pants, and the same shirt he had worn the other night. What had happened? His memory was a bit blank on that. He had watched Tatsuki mop the floor with her opposition, and Orihime and himself had cheered with her, then it had gotten dark and they had started heading back…  
Suddenly, it all flooded back in his mind. The small girl's ghost. The three of them walking down that empty street. A chill, and then a monster. A woman with a sword- Rukia! Kuchiki Rukia, her name was Kuchiki Rukia! A fight… and then he had ended up with her powers. He flexed his fingers, and made a fist, trying to feel it, the raw power coursing through the smallest cell of his body, through each and every part of him…

Nothing. He felt perfectly normal. It… was a dream, of course. He'd headed back to the hotel, maybe hit his head on something and forgot, and dreamed about Rukia, about monsters…  
It had just seemed so _real_. Like anyone else, Ichigo had had dreams that seemed real before, the kind that were clear and felt entirely true while he had them, but this was different. But it had to be. Right? There was no way this was true.

Deciding not to get stuck in his own ponderings, Ichigo shook his head, grabbed a fresh change of clothes, and headed for the shower. Five minutes later, he joined Tatsuki and Orihime by the table for breakfast. Orihime was making a predictably bizarre meal, toast with what looked like lutefisk and strawberry jam, while Tatsuki herself was chewing down a more reasonable toast. Very slowly, Ichigo noticed, and uncharacteristically quietly, looking into the table.  
Equally silently, Ichigo got some milk, and stared blankly into space. Life was funny. Crazy, really. He had the urge to come out and say it, ask Orihime and Tatsuki if they had seen it too- but with how he was already ninety percent sure he was insane, he decided not to. No reason to make them think he was mad when he already knew he was. So, he ate breakfast in silence.

However, he would not have to wait long. After finishing her bizarre toast, Orihime had a drink of milk, hummed cheerily, and said,  
"So… are we just not going to talk about how we almost died last night? It's not every day a spirit samurai saves your life from a mutant monster from outer space, you know."

Tatsuki looked incredulous, and in her gaping face Ichigo saw a sure mirror of what he had to look like himself, his jaw having dropped. At the same time as Ichigo started talking, Tatsuki said,  
"That was _real_?"

While Ichigo said:  
"You saw it too?!"

"Well, duh," Orihime said, casually buttering another piece of toast, "and I figure it _had_ to be an alien, since it doesn't look like anything we have on earth. That, or a malignant spirit created by a ghost with regrets which loses its mind with hatred and sadness and preys upon the living. Or oooh, maybe an advanced kind of cyborg!"

"…I thought I was just dreaming," Tatsuki mumbled. "Had to be, right? But it… seemed real, and it _was_ real, and I have no idea what the hell I'm supposed to make of this."

Ichigo, for his part, didn't say anything more. Instead, he just began laughing, a long, relieved, heartfelt laugh. Tatsuki started giving him funny looks when it lasted over a minute, and once it had gone on for two, she punched him lightly on the shoulder.  
"Hey, you think it's funny, almost dying?"

"I'm so-I'm sorry," Ichigo said, gasping for breath. "I was just… I was sure I was going crazy. And now I know it wasn't just me, that it wasn't all in my head. I'm not crazy, you guys!" He laughed again, feeling relief flood through him.

"…he said, after cackling like a madman," Tatsuki snorted. "I think the jury's still out on that one, buddy."

"You don't get it," Ichigo said excitably. "All my life- since I was a little kid- I saw ghosts, all over the place, but nobody else did and… and since forever, I kinda thought I was going crazy. But it wasn't just me!"

"Well…" Tatsuki mumbled. "I've actually seen them too. For a couple years, at least. Just kept my mouth shout, because, you know…" She made a gesture with her finger, at her head, "…people think you're crazy if you say stuff like that."

"Oh, holy crap…" Ichigo mumbled. "For how long? Orihime, did you see it too? Did you see the ghosts?"

"Not really," Orihime said, and shrugged, as if the topic was completely normal- which, in her reality, it probably was. "But I believe you. If there can be mutant aliens attacking us, there can be ghosts, too." She swallowed down the last of her toast. "Actually… I didn't see the monster. Not at first. I just felt… frozen in place. But something happened there, and I don't know what, but… somehow, I started making it out. It was blurry at first, like watching something at the edge of your vision, but it got clearer somehow. I saw… you fighting it off, Ichigo."

"Wait, what?" Tatsuki said. "I remember some girl running away and you lying there on the ground all limp, and figured she fought it off. We practically had to carry you back to the hotel."

Well, that explained the clothes.  
"I did, yes," Ichigo said, and nodded. "I don't know how, but she gave me… power, somehow. I killed it. Don't know how, but I did."

"So you're a spirit samurai too, now?" Orihime said happily. "That's great for you, Ichigo! Now we can form our own superhero team… what should your name be? 'Black Robe', maybe? Nah, too bland. How about 'Red Swordsman', because of your hair? Or-"

"Um… no superhero teams just yet, Orihime," Ichigo mumbled, a bit taken aback. Orihime never ceased to surprise you, no matter how much you thought you were used to her. "I'm uh, I'm not. A spirit samurai. I mean, a shinigami."

"That's what it's called?" Orihime said. "I guess that makes sense, but I still think 'spirit samurai' sounds cooler."

"Shinigami?" Tatsuki said questioningly.

"It's what she said they were called," Ichigo said, shrugging. "I don't know any more than you do, okay? She gave me some power, I beat that thing, and now I'm back to normal." Without realizing it, he let a small sigh slip out.

"If you say so," Tatsuki mumbled. "This is… kind of mind-blowing, though, isn't it? All over the world people think ghosts aren't real, and now we _know_ they are… and not only that, there are these weird monsters running around, attacking who knows how many people. It's like there's this whole world going on that nobody else can see…"

"And now we're part of that world!" Orihime said cheerily. "Isn't that cool? Just think of having two whole words to explore, instead of just one!"

"That… is one way of looking at it, sure," Ichigo mumbled. "But yeah. It's heavy stuff. Um…" He looked at the clock, and added, "but um, I think we better get going. Ghosts are real and all, but so is your tournament, and we'll miss the bus if we don't get ready. You have asses to kick, remember?"

He said the words with a small grin, one Tatsuki reciprocated.  
"Hell yeah I do," She said eagerly. "You're right- having my mind blown can wait till tonight. I've got a championship to win!"

"That's the spirit!" Orihime said cheerily. "Try not to break any bones. Unless you have to. In which case, break as many bones as you need to!"

"Duly noted," Tatsuki said, and got up from the table. She affectionately ruffled Orihime's hair, and went to get her things. Ichigo and Orihime got ready, too, and before long they were waiting for a bus ride to the Tokyo Regional Championships.

* * *

The day played out as expected- lots of karate bouts, most of their time spent waiting for Tatsuki's turn in the tournament. The brackets were extensive, even with most of it behind them from the day before. Tatsuki seemed to not be too distracted by last night's revelations, taking one match after another with convincing vigour, few opponents even putting up that much of a fight. She was a natural, Ichigo knew, and he felt proud watching her beat down her opposition.  
However, nature's calling eventually made itself loud and clear to Ichigo, and after watching Tatsuki flip a girl nearly twice her size (or so it seemed, at least) like a rag doll, Ichigo excused himself, and headed for the restroom.  
Just as he had concluded his business, and was about to reach for a paper towel to dry his hands, he saw a figure in the mirror. At first glance, he thought nothing of it- public restrooms were public, after all- but after a second, he realized several things. It was Rukia. She was not wearing a black kimono. Worst of all, _it was a girl_.

Scrambling to zip his fly, which he had forgot to close, he quickly turned around- too quickly, enough that he lost his balance. Desperately grabbing for support, and failing, he fell over. Realizing that whatever dignity he had ever had was gone, he quickly got to his feet, and snarled,  
"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Oh please, I wasn't looking," Rukia said, with a smirk. "I was a perfect gentlewoman, I assure you."

"Ha-freaking-ha!" Ichigo hissed, keeping his voice down- shouting might attract more people, and the last thing this needed was an audience. "What the hell are you doing here? I mean… here, of all places?"

"I'm confused," Rukia said, clearly enjoying herself, "do you want to know _what_ I am doing here, or why I chose _this_ place?"

"The first! And second! Both!" Ichigo said, feeling flustered. Girls were all right, provided they didn't do crazy things like sneak into the men's room- and when they did, he was never sure what to make of it.

"It's private," Rukia said casually, with a shrug. "A bit of simple magic, and we won't be disturbed until we're done."

"Done with what?" Ichigo said, still angry but calming himself down somewhat. "And what are you doing, wearing that… normal getup?"  
She was dressed quite simply, in a dignified grey blazer and a somewhat less dignified short skirt of the same colour, looking exactly like a normal human being. And, a small part of him noted, she wasn't bad to look at.

"Our shihakusho aren't attached to our skin, you know," she said amusedly. "I'll have you know that plenty of shinigami prefer to sample living-world fashion on their off duty hours."

"…yeah, whatever," Ichigo grumbled. "What do you want, surprising me like this?"

Rukia's amused demeanor dropped from her face, and she looked dead serious. "Something happened last night," she said, and looked him in the eye.

"Well yes, something happened, all right!" Ichigo said. "You stabbed me and then I got all powerful, and then I don't remember a thing- so what about it?"

"You were supposed to get only a small portion of my power," Rukia said, her voice serious, "a tenth, perhaps. No more than a human should be able to handle. No more than I should be able to recover myself. But that didn't happen- somehow, you took all of my power. I only have enough left to stay alive. I have been reduced to a simple soul."

"You don't look much like a normal soul," Ichigo said, frowning.

"This," Rukia said, gesturing at herself in general, "Is what we call a gigai. An artificial body. We use it sometimes to hide when we're in the world of the living. My power, the part that makes me a shinigami- _that_ is still stuck inside you."

"What?!" Ichigo said with a bit of shock, running the palm of his hand over his chest, as if he could somehow sense it physically. "But… how…"

"I don't know either," Rukia said. "But it should wear off. I hope. I can't contact my base of operations for a while yet, and I don't know how long this will take to wear off."

"So… um…" Ichigo said, doing his best to try and feel for some weird ghost-spirit-samurai kind of power, and coming up short, "what… do I do about it?"

"Well, it's obvious," Rukia said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "you'll simply have to take over my duties for the time being. I was assigned to the Karakura region, although I landed in the wrong city by mistake. You are a Karakura resident. You have the power. It should work just fine, with a bit of guidance."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ichigo said. "Wait- how do you know I'm from Karakura?"

"I know a guy who knows things," Rukia said. "He was the one who supplied me with this gigai. Now, let's get started. You have a lot to learn-"

"Again, _whoa_," Ichigo said. "I never said I was going to do it, okay? This whole… slaying monsters business is not me. I mean, dumping this on me, that's like dumping a war on a soldier who never fought in a battle. No, scratch that- it's more like dumping it on somebody who never finished boot camp! Slaying monsters with swords…" He shook his head. "It's not just that it's dangerous for me, but I can't let my family be at risk. Or my friends. I'd just be an idiot with a big sword that he doesn't know how to use."

"You did fine yesterday," Rukia said impatiently.

"That was… I dunno, dumb luck?" Ichigo said. The memory of it was a bit hazy, almost a blur. He had felt strong, powerful, he had felt _right_… but now, in the daylight, where it was no longer fight or die, he felt hesitant, even afraid. Tatsuki was right- it was a whole new world, and the thought of being enlisted as a soldier in it didn't appeal to him.

Rukia shook her head. "Trust me, your strength is far above that of a typical human being. Stronger than many shinigami, even. You won't be dealing with anything too dangerous. I'll just give you some basic training, just as a temporary solution, and we'll-"

"No," Ichigo said flatly. "Sorry, but no. This is your mess, not mine. I'm not going to stick my neck out because you messed up. If it were just… something smaller, but, ah," He scratched his head; he felt like a prick saying these things so bluntly, "you're asking me to risk my life. That's what it is, if it's anything like last night- and if my friends and family got caught up, then…" At a loss for words he shrugged, hoping she caught his meaning.

"Ichigo," Rukia said gravely, staring into his eyes, "last night, you saved my life. If that counts for nothing, then you should know that you also saved the life of your two friends, too. Do they matter to you?"

Ichigo said nothing, but the look on his face spoke volumes.

"They do," Rukia said, nodding. "Now imagine it's somebody else's best friend. Somebody else's sister, daughter, mother. Somebody else's precious somebody that nobody can replace. Can you imagine that, Ichigo? I know you can. You felt it last night."

"That was… different," Ichigo said evasively. "I had my back against the wall, I had no choice…"

"Ichigo, if you do this, you will make a difference." Her voice was sharp, true, and held a weight and certainty well beyond her youthful appearance. "These monsters are hollows, souls driven mad by grief and regret, turned into monsters preying on the living. We shinigami purify them. Each hollow we stop is one less that can hurt and kill others. Ichigo, if you do this, you will save lives. If you do not, people will die. Eventually my superiors will send a replacement, but that could take time- for all they know, I am still at work. It could take months. How many human beings will die in that time, Ichigo?" Her voice was somewhere in between pleading and steely, and it drilled at his mind like a jackhammer. _Hold firm,_ he thought, _you said your piece and it was true. It's not your battle._  
"I can tell you how many: not dozens, but hundreds," Rukia continued mercilessly. "Hundreds will die. Thousands will have lost their children, their siblings, their parents. You have the power to stop this. So will you stand there in the shadows because you are afraid, or will you step up and _make a difference_?"

"I… I don't know," Ichigo said hesitantly.

"Have you ever lost anybody, Ichigo? Anybody close to you?"

"…no," he mumbled.

"It hurts. More than anybody can imagine. It leaves a hole in your chest. You have potential, Ichigo, and you're strong- so if you let me, we can stop that from happening."

"No." He said, less resolutely this time.

"What if it were your sisters?" Rukia said coldly. "What if a monster came after them, and you were powerless to stop it? What if it was your mother? After all, they came after you once- who's to say they wouldn't do it again?"

"You shut up!" Ichigo said sharply. He was in turmoil, balling his fists as he felt as if something boiled in his chest. "You- just shut up, okay? I don't want any of your crazy world, not one iota!"  
Before she could reply, he stormed out of the restroom, leaving Rukia behind. Shaken, he made his way back to the stage where the tournament was held, taking long, deep breaths. Rukia just watched him leave. That was enough for now- but she was not done, not by far.

* * *

Tatsuki had taken the championship, quite convincingly, against a monster of a girl taller and tougher than she was. Ichigo had watched and cheered, but his mirth had been forced, fake, hiding his anxiety. The confrontation with Rukia had shaken him, filled him with a noxious cocktail of emotion- fear, anger, self-righteous fury, nervousness, and the gnawing feeling that he was doing something wrong. It was crazy, of course, and he knew the arguments- it wasn't his world, not his mess, and he had no reason to risk his life for somebody else; the safety of his family was at risk…

It made perfect sense. He saw no flaw in his logic. Sure, he was partly to blame for Rukia's injury back then, but she asked way too much of him- way too much. It was unreasonable. Completely unfair. He was fifteen years old; he should be worried about grades, about girls, about the future, not putting his life on the line. It was… too much.  
But the more he thought about it, the more those things felt like excuses. Feelings were rarely logical, and he tried to dismiss it at just that- an irrational sense of guilt, coupled with some dumb, macho protector instinct, but no matter how he reasoned he couldn't shake it. He kept thinking of Rukia, of her steely, determined face, her voice as she said the words,  
_"Hundreds will die. Thousands will have lost their children, their siblings, their parents. You have the power to stop this."_

So it was that, after some appropriate celebration, whose associated elation let him almost forget about the encounter, he found himself back at the hotel. Twilight would soon come, and all three of them were exhausted- well, not Orihime, whose energy seemed limitless. Tatsuki had taken a shower, and was taking a well-deserved rest on the couch in the hotel room, lazily watching some crummy soap opera, with Orihime excitably following the show's excuse for a plot. Ichigo had joined them, although he couldn't focus at anything- certainly not some silly drama show. Restlessly, he fiddled with his fingers, making fists, twiddling thumbs, staring down into his lap.  
After a while, Tatsuki looked away from the TV, fixing her eyes on Ichigo, and said,

"Well aren't you the picture of joy? I just won a trophy, and then we went out and had a roaring good time too, and here you are looking like your pet hamster got run over, or something. Did that monster thing really get to you that badly?" She sounded somewhere in between quizzical, concerned, and a little irritated.

"It's not that," Ichigo said, and immediately regretted his words. It would have made for a good excuse, but he couldn't back away now. "It's, um… it's nothing, all right?" He said lamely, hoping it would be enough. "I can handle myself, so don't worry."

"Pff, 'don't worry', my rear," Tatsuki snorted. "I know you, Ichigo, and that's what you say when you're being an idiot who thinks you have to keep it all inside just because you're a boy. It's okay to have more emotion than a rock, you know."

"Really, it's nothing," Ichigo said, putting a little more effort into it. He sounded more convincing this time, but Tatsuki was not letting up. She stood up from her chair, and walked over to Ichigo.

"Come on. Talk to me. That's what friends are for, aren't they?"

"I'm fine," Ichigo insisted.

"Well, you leave me no choice," Tatsuki said. She shrugged, and Ichigo caught the look in her eye and the grin on her face too late, and within a second she had locked an arm around his neck, placing the knuckles of her free arm on the top of his head. She was strong- of course, Ichigo was taller and stronger, but he wasn't about to start wrestling her like it was serious.

"Hey, hey, knock it off!" Ichigo said, squirming- although not very hard.

"You leave me no choice, bud," Tatsuki said. "Speak, or I'll give you a noogie you'll feel two weeks from now."

"What are we, five?" Ichigo protested. "I'm fine, I told you!"

Orihime looked on with cheer, and said,  
"Ve haff vays of making you talk, mister Bond! So you better spill it!"

"Okay, one: James Bond never fought any Nazis," Ichigo began, "and secondly- owwwww!"

Tatsuki had begun rubbing her knuckles over his skull.  
"You can make it stop any time, Mister Bond!" She said cheerily. "All you have to do is talk!"

"Since when am I mister Bond?" Ichigo protested. Despite himself he was nearly laughing; this was so typical of Tatsuki, so direct and blunt. "Oww- come on, knock it off!"

"Never!" Tatsuki insisted. "And if this doesn't cut it… maybe the Indian burns will!"

"No!" Ichigo cried out, and laughter finally bubbled over in his voice. "No, anything but that!"

"Haff you had enough, mister Bond?" Tatsuki said, stubbornly continuing her torture. "Or shall ve proceed to phase two, ja?"

"Fine, fine, I'll talk!" Ichigo said, and couldn't help but laugh. "Just let go of me already, okay?"

"That's what I like to hear," Tatsuki said, nodded, and let him go. Standing in front of him, she said, "Let's hear it then."

"Is it that girl from last night?" Orihime said, and Ichigo marveled at the accidental accuracy of her bizarre fantasies. "I bet you totally fell in love with her, and now you're torn because she belongs to the world of the dead, and you to the living, and your love is impossible and may never be, but you will try anyway-"

"NO," Ichigo said firmly, hoping he wasn't blushing, "definitely not that. Definitely."

"So what is it then?" Tatsuki said, sitting herself down at the far end of the couch.

Ichigo took a deep breath.  
"All right. You know what? It _is_ the girl from last night. Minus the whole 'impossible love' nonsense," he added hastily. "Today… I was taking a leak, and she surprised me in the bathroom."

Tatsuki gave a whistle. "Don't tell me…"

"No, goddammit!" Ichigo swore, and knew that this time, he was _definitely_ blushing. "She surprised me and gave me this… speech." He took another deep breath. "I'll tell you the whole thing, but if I hear one word, one freaking innuendo or tease, I'm keeping my lips shut, got that?"

"You got my word," Tatsuki said with a snigger, and the grin on her face told him she already had had enough fun at his expense."

"We won't, I promise," Orihime said. "Did she tell you that you're still a spirit samurai?"

_Again_. How did she do it?  
"…yes." Ichigo mumbled, and nodded. He went on to explain the whole thing, all she had said; how he now had the powers of a shinigami, how she had tried to recruit him, how he had said no… Orihime and Tatsuki listened and nodded, occasionally cutting in with a question. Surprisingly, Ichigo felt much better having gotten it off his chest, most of that uncertain turmoil in his gut settling down.

"…and that's about the gist of it," He said quietly. "She wants me to be a soldier for her, and for who knows how long. It's crazy. Right?"

"It's a big thing to spring on you, gotta agree," Tatsuki said thoughtfully.

"Imagine that…" Orihime said, with a look on her face that Ichigo knew meant her imagination was going into overdrive. "You have the actual powers… of a death god…"

"Yeah, well, I'm not using them," Ichigo said stubbornly. "This is not my war. If there's a whole order of 'em out there, then it's their responsibility to fix this, not mine." He looked at Tatsuki, desperately wanting her to agree, to convince him- because he certainly hadn't convinced himself.

"That thing she said…" Tatsuki said thoughtfully. "It could be your family."

"…yeah, she said that," Ichigo said uncertainly. "What about it?"

"If it were your family," Tatsuki said seriously, "if it were your mom, your dad and your sisters, and one day you came home to find them all dead, blood everywhere-"

"Jesus, Tatsuki!" Ichigo snapped.

"IF that happened," Tatsuki insisted, "and you knew there was somebody who could have stopped it, but didn't, would you ever forgive him?"

"What the hell?" Ichigo said, feeling angry, "You're on her side now?"

"I'm not on any side." Tatsuki said. "But no matter what, you'd never be alone."

"Because we'd be right here," Orihime said confidently. "We'd find a way to help- maybe we'd find some kind of scientifically advanced experimental anti-monster rail guns. Or regular guns!"

"…something like that," Tatsuki said. "What's important is you answer the question. Would you forgive somebody like that?"

"I… I dunno," Ichigo said, knowing full well the answer.

"I think you do." Tatsuki said seriously.

"Think about this, Ichigo," Orihime said, and Ichigo wished he could just worm his way out of here. Tatsuki was firm, assertive, sort of like a brother, and screaming at her, he could do. Orihime, not quite so much.  
"Last night, you saved me and Tatsuki. I think that was pretty heroic."

"Well, I didn't have a choice, did I?" Ichigo repeated.

"Ichigo, if you saved the two of us, if we're worth saving… aren't the other people out there worth saving too?" She looked him right in the eye, and he wished he could look away.

"…sure, sure," He said hastily, and looked down, "but… I'm not even trained for this."

"This is a big thing, make no mistake," Tatsuki said, "and she is asking a lot of you. But you always do the right thing, Ichigo. If people need help, you help. I always respected that. So the choice is yours, and I'm not going to judge you either way. It's not fair, dumping something like this on you. You're young- we all are."

"But life's not fair, right?" Ichigo said. "That's what you'd say next."

"Maybe," Tatsuki said. "I just know that you'd never get any peace if you thought people died because of you."

"So… ah, fuck" Ichigo mumbled. He was about to take the leap, he knew, plunge headlong off a cliff without knowing the waters below, "what am I supposed to do? I mean… you'd help, yeah?"

"Damn straight," Tatsuki said, making a fist. "All for one and one for all, you know that."

"Like the three musketeers!" Orihime said. "Only without muskets. Would that make us the three shinigamiteers?"

"Damn it…" Ichigo mumbled. "All right. Fine. _If_ she comes looking for me again… I'll say yes."

"Go to the bathroom and wait, why don't you?" Tatsuki said with a snigger.

"Hey!" Ichigo began, but then he heard a noise, and realized the window was open. "Wait… what was that?"

As if the universe was inclined to answer his question directly, he saw Rukia's petite frame smoothly heave itself up through the window. They were two stories up, but at this point, nothing should surprise him. She landed gracefully, and gave him a look that was somewhere in between satisfied and a little smug.

"You!" Ichigo said. "You- how long have you been out there!"

"Well, for quite some time." She said flippantly. "I was going to come in sooner, but you sounded like you were having a moment, and I didn't want to intrude."

"So instead you just listened in like some stalker?" Ichigo said incredulously. He had agreed to the proposal, perhaps, but that didn't mean he had to like her.

"Ah, the bathroom girl herself," Tatsuki said cheerily. "Or was it shinigami? You don't look very much like a spirit."

"Don't underestimate us," Rukia said. "And I'm no 'girl'. I am ten times your age at the least."

Tatsuki gave a whistle. "Well, then you're not looking bad for your age. So… how does this work?"

Rukia walked into the room, and dug out something from her pocket. "Well, first I'm going to need to overwrite your memories. Except Ichigo, of course. You're not supposed to know-"

Quickly, Ichigo put his hand on Rukia's, holding on to the little device.  
"No," he said simply. "We're all in this, together. We all go, or none of us do."

Rukia gave him a calculating look, as if to determine if she could somehow do it anyway, then finally decided to put it away, stuffing it back in her pocket.  
"…all right," she said. "I'm not sure what you'll be able to do, but… if that's the way it is."

"Well, that was surprisingly easy," Tatsuki said.

"I'm a little desperate, to be honest," Rukia admitted. "This was my first solo assignment to the world of the living, and… it got messed up. This is the only way. So, I adapt."

"Good then," Ichigo said. "So… what am I supposed to do?"

"We'll get there. Not tonight, it seems quiet enough, but when we get back to Karakura, we have some basics to go over." She looked at him, and shot him the smallest of smiles. "I'm glad you reconsidered."

"To be honest, I guess I owe ya," Ichigo said, and shrugged. "You got all busted up trying to save me, so I'll repay the favour. But only until your shinigami buddies fix this, got that?"

"Understood," Rukia said, and nodded.

"So…" He said, not sure where to go next.

"Why don't you sit down with us, shinigami lady?" Orihime said. "I am Inoue Orihime, by the way."

"Kuchiki Rukia," Rukia said.

"Excellent," Orihime said. "Come sit with us. You've nowhere to go anyway, right? They're just about to reveal who murdered mister Kiyasaki, head of the sushi company."

"…the what?" Rukia said.

"Don't ask," Ichigo said, and shrugged. "These things make no sense."

Yet, somehow, Rukia wound up staying the night, sitting up till late with Orihime. Shinigami she was, but human entertainment seemed to appeal to her still.

And just like that, Ichigo had taken the plunge.

* * *

It had been a week since Erza had left for her kendo tournament, and it felt good to be back home. As she walked up the stairs to her apartment she smiled, thinking about the experience. Some of her students had come along to cheer, and she had felt proud performing so well in front of them. It was hardly fair, of course- even with the restrictions of a gigai, not a single one of her competitors had come close. She felt bad, but only a little. Having earned a neat chunk of money for first place certainly eased any shame she might have had. Orihime would be back by now, she knew, from that tournament Tatsuki had. It was a good thing, she thought. Young people should be out and about, enjoying themselves, and karate was a healthy sport to follow. All things considered, she and Masaki hadn't done a bad job- no delinquency, no drugs, and no alcohol for their kids. Most other parents would tell them you could never know for sure, but most other parents couldn't stalk their children at the speed of sound if they needed to. Because of this, she hadn't been too nervous, letting them go away by themselves- Takahama was outside the danger zone, as most hollows in the region tended to frequent Karakura, and the three of them were responsible young individuals. Well, comparatively at least.

Lost in thought, Erza unlocked the door, stepped inside, took her coat and shoes off, and was soon greeted by a cheery Orihime, who ran up to her and gave her a quick hug. It was Saturday, which meant they were in no rush- and free to spend some quality time together.

"Erza!" Orihime chirped, hugging her hard. She always surprised Erza, so strong for a human- then again, that was how Erza had raised her. "You're back! Welcome home!"

You might have thought Erza would have been gone for months, not just a week, but the two of them had got quite close. Orihime valued the people close to her; she would have made a fine member of Fairy Tail, and that was high praise.  
"Yup, I'm back," Erza said, and smiled as she ruffled Orihime's hair. "Oof- take it easy there, or you'll break me," she joked.

"Did you win?" Orihime said, letting go.

Smiling, Erza reached into her bag, and produced a small trophy, and a wad of bills.

"I knew you'd do it!" Orihime cheered.

"Of course I would," Erza said. "I worked my hardest and did my best, and what does that mean?"

"You win, and even if you don't, you still have a reason to be proud of yourself!" Orihime said, repeating a lesson Erza had taught her.

"That's right," Erza said, nodding. "Come on, let's have some tea."

"I already made some, just in case," Orihime chirped.

"Great," Erza said. She really was a sweet girl.

Soon, the two of them were seated on the couch of her apartment, the TV running a re-run of some soap opera, one of their favourite pastimes. It was ridiculous, but quite entertaining.

"So," Erza said, leaning back with a mug of warm tea, "how was the tournament?"

"Oh, it was awesome!" Orihime exclaimed. "There were like, so many girls who looked super tough, but Tatsuki was like, Wham! Pow! Shadoosh!" She made some excitable gestures, mimicking karate- Tatsuki had taught her some, something Erza had definitely welcomed. She watched and listened as Orihime launched into a tirade, describing what was with certainty a vastly exaggerated recount of Tatsuki's run through the brackets- she was sure that karate tournaments did not involve time-travelling robots, or tin-can-shaped cyborg aliens with a tendency toward extermination, and she knew for a fact that Tatsuki was not actually a superhero. Even so, she smiled, listened, and read through the line- she had done quite well, Orihime and Ichigo had cheered her on, and they had had a good time all around. After a good fifteen minutes of excitable and uniquely imaginative explanation, Erza said,

"Well, I'm glad you had such a good time. And that was all? Did anything else happen that I should know about?"  
Erza meant Ichigo, of course- after all, it _was_ him and two teenaged girls alone in a hotel room, and while she was sure she could trust the three of them, you never knew with hormones in play. The answer was far more shocking, though.

"Well, we were sort of attacked by this big monster," Orihime said casually. "It had this huge white mask, and it was pretty scary." She blinked, as If remembering something important. "Come to think of it, it kinda looked like the stuff you told me about."

"What?!" Said Erza, almost beside herself with the thought of her Orihime having been attacked. Unlike Masaki, she hadn't kept Orihime in the dark- but she had decided to fill her in little by little, until she was older. She had told her about hollows, what they looked like and to always run away, but not much else. Orihime had spiritual potential, but it had always been slight, dormant; she had never been able to see ghosts as far as Erza could recall.

"Oh, it's okay," Orihime said. "A big, brave spirit samurai came running and fought it off. Then we went back to the hotel, talked about it, and now we can all see ghosts. Isn't that cool?"  
This was not exactly honest, Orihime knew, but part of her really liked the idea of keeping a secret- Ichigo was going to be a superhero, and superheroes had secret identities. Being in on that made her feel excited, and as such, she didn't tell Erza everything. It wasn't _technically_ lying, after all…

"What- what?" Erza mumbled. "I mean, are you okay? Were you hurt?" Urgently, she grabbed Orihime, looking at her as if she had some sort of hidden injury. "Are the others okay? What happened?"

"Erza, calm down," Orihime said happily. "I told you, some guy in black fought it off. We weren't hurt or anything."

"Are you sure?" Erza said. Quietly, she sensed Orihime's reiatsu, scanning for something. There it was, unmistakably- the energy she had always had, no longer sleeping, flaring about defiantly like a candle in the night. She had been changed by this- and so would the others too, she would bet her right hand on it.

"Yes, I'm sure," Orihime said insistently. "We were totally fine. But I kinda wonder about the spirit samurai."

"Orihime, listen," Erza said, her voice restrained, trying to think of the right thing to say. "You know how I warned you about the monsters? About hollows?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Did you ever wonder how I knew about them?"

"Nope," Orihime said simply. "You're pretty smart and you know stuff. That's basically who you are. That, and being really cool and lots of other stuff."

Normally, Erza would have felt moved by Orihime's simple, earnest compliment. Now, however, she was on edge, nervous.  
"Well, er," she began, still fumbling for the right words, "I… know a lot about that sort of stuff, actually. You could say I'm an expert. Orihime, I…" She wanted to confess, tell her the whole thing, but she also very badly wanted to check on Ichigo, get the whole of the situation known to her first, "let's just say I know my way around the spirit world, okay? One of these days I'll tell you all about it- real soon, actually."

"Oh, that's cool," Orihime said. "Can we finish the show, though?" She said, and gestured at the TV. Not that they had paid close attention to begin with, but Erza breathed out. Taking it easy for a little while might be the best answer- don't overthink it, don't do anything rash.

"…sure," Erza said at last. "Is there more tea, actually?"

"Sure, sure, I'll get some," Orihime said cheerily.

Erza leaned herself back. She had always known a day like this would come, for Ichigo in particular, but no matter how much she had anticipated it, it was still a bit of a shock. Not as much of a shock as it would be for Ichigo, though…  
If he had had an awakening, if his power had become active, then he had painted a beacon on himself. Masaki would know it the moment she saw him. No matter what she thought, no matter how much she wanted to protect him, no matter how much Erza wanted to respect that as she had respected it for all these years, she could stay silent no longer. He was in danger now. He needed to know. He needed to learn how to defend himself. As did… Orihime. Probably Tatsuki too. Reiatsu had a way of rubbing off on people, and Ichigo had been friends with them since he was young. She sighed. This was going to get complicated, in a way she did not appreciate at all.

* * *

She waited till it was dark, after Orihime had gone to bed. Once she was sure she was asleep, she got up, swallowed a pill containing a mod soul, and popped out of her gigai, standing tall as a shinigami. Quietly she exited the apartment, and sped away toward the Kurosaki residence. Masaki was out of town for just a few days, which gave her a bit of time to work with. Within the minute, she was perched on a rooftop opposite of the Kurosaki home. She relaxed, focused, and sensed for Ichigo. The idea had been to sense for him, and then… well, improvise. Talk to him, maybe. Warn him.  
What actually happened was a surprise, even knowing what she did. She sensed Ichigo, all right, but he was moving away from the house- and fast, much too fast for a human. With a sense of urgency, Erza followed his signal, trying to get a view. Before long she had caught up, and… there he was.

He was dashing across the roofs, leaping from one to the next, jumping across telephone poles, street lights, crossing large distances in single bounds. He wore the_shihakusho_, there was no mistaking it. On his back sat a girl- no, on closer inspection, it wasn't just any girl. It was Rukia. Wearing what looked like a gigai, her power output being marginal. What the hell was going on here?  
Carefully, so as to not be spotted, Erza followed them. The pair seemed focused enough, and neither were likely to sense for her. Erza was no expert in the matter of reading reiatsu, but following Ichigo's signal, which blazed like a bonfire in the night, was child's play. They were headed toward another clear signature, that of a hollow recently having manifested from a portal to Hueco Mundo.  
As she followed, Erza's mind raced. Ichigo's power had blossomed; it was an awakening and then some. Already it was equal to that of a tenth seat, maybe even better. He seemed to have absolutely no skill with it, but that was no surprise. His reiatsu signature read distinctly like that of a true shinigami- completely transformed from that of a normal human soul. The distinction was unmistakable; humans barely if ever had control of their reiatsu, and what little they had was usually a small ball of consistently blazing energy, whereas shinigami were large, powerful, and very much controlled, their energy having the fragrance of structure and military order. Overnight- literally- Ichigo's energy had warped, mutated and grown, not only in magnitude but in structure.

How had it happened? Well… that was Rukia. It had been so long since she had seen her last, but Erza remembered her as a capable fighter, not without pride, and she doubted she would have made herself second to some human- or did she know who Ichigo was? No, not likely- they had all kept their heads down, going so far as to block their powers almost entirely for almost a year after the quincy incident. But he looked so much like Shiba Kaien… she had to suspect something.  
But the most likely explanation, Erza decided as she followed them for a couple of miles, was that Rukia had somehow been drained of her powers. The procedure was known, if rare- in desperate times, a shinigami could lend her powers to an ally, although it was risky. Not knowing Ichigo's potential, she must have lent her powers to him- and being so naturally powerful, he had absorbed them all without realizing it. Here he was now, playing at being a shinigami, without having the slightest idea what it meant, physically or mentally. Part of her ached with worry and frustration at the thought of it, but another part of her was cautiously optimistic- he had power now, and maybe, just maybe, he could use it.

Before long, the chase stopped, and Erza hid herself behind the slope of a rooftop, observing the two of them. In other circumstances, she would have been overjoyed to see Rukia, an old friend, but at the moment she was much too concerned with Ichigo to think about it. Carefully she hid, putting herself in close distance if they needed her. The hollow was close, just down the street, and Erza had a good view of the scene. It was a big beastie, or at least it would be to a total rookie like Ichigo, with thick scales on its back, stubby clawed hands, and a mask stained with blood.

_Come on, Ichigo_ Erza thought, _Don't be stupid. Keep your guard up, and don't run in recklessly. You can do it!_  
As Ichigo raised his sword and let out a battle-cry of sorts, Erza had to resist the impulse to get up, to run to his side, to protect him from the monster. She saw the little boy she had helped raise since he was a baby, the little kid she had baby-sat and protected his entire life, and felt a fear that he would be hurt, so strong it was nearly a physical pain, but she forced herself to remain still. The hollow, she knew, had inferior power compared to his- very inferior, actually; its only advantage would be experience. She had to at least let him try. She needed to see what this was. If things got bad… it would take her all of two seconds to sweep down and destroy it.

The hollow growled and charged, and Ichigo met it head-on. He ran at it, swinging the sword like a club, and cut into its arm. Quite adeptly, for somebody of his skill level, he dodged the counter-slash, jumped into the air, and cut its mask. It was no clean hit by any means, and only barely had enough force to crack it, but it did the job. The hollow shrieked, began to dissipate, and Erza felt a pang of pride. She made a fist and smiled, relaxing herself. He had done it, killed a hollow- without even a day's worth of formal training. This put him years ahead of the typical shinigami student to be sure, but it wouldn't be nearly enough.  
Assured that everything was as it should be, Rukia said something to him. The two of them seemed to banter a little, before Ichigo picked her up, and they began heading back home. Quietly, Erza followed them again. She watched him land at home, and though his movements were clumsy, he seemed to have a knack for it- he was a natural, and no doubt about it. He and Rukia spoke, Rukia headed out into the night, and Ichigo stood there for a while, staring out into the night.

Erza watched Rukia leave, and once she was out of earshot, she made her move.

Ichigo was a bit confounded. Fighting that monster had felt… good. It was dangerous, and he had nearly got cut, but that had just made it more… exciting, somehow. Not that he would admit it, but he didn't mind this so much. Quietly, he stared into the night, thinking about this new turn of events. Life _was_ funny. One day, you're a teenager whose biggest worry was passing math with decent grades, and the next… you're a death-god slaying soul-eating monsters. It really was a mad world.  
He was just about to turn around and head inside, when he saw a figure on the roof across the street, its face obscured by the dark of night. From the light of the stars he could see the flowing robes, the same kind of kimono he wore right now. What- what was this? Had they already sent somebody new?  
Before Ichigo could think any further on it, the figure had leapt across the street, crossing the distance instantaneously. Ichigo flinched a little, and held his sword up, just in case. The night was cloudless, allowing for some degree of visibility- and in the pale light he saw the figure up close. Tall, busty, with a steely expression and… red hair? Lamely, he let his sword drop, as something deep in his mind recalled it, a memory long buried in his childhood…

"Ichigo," she said, "we need to talk."

* * *

**Now, as im sure some of you have noticed Ichigo is a bit...different than his cannon counterpart. Because of this, we believed a change was necessary.**

**GKR: We are keeping Ichigo's character mostly the same, but he is not the same person he is in canon. He has two loving parents, and he is secure in himself, less aggressive and less grumpy. Consider him a slightly different character, and consider this before you call anything about him "OOC"**

**We think youll enjoy his character despite these, or perhaps enjoy him even more. Also, you may have noticed we included Tatsuki at the beginning. I wont say much, but I will let you all know that her role will be far lager in this than in cannon like Kubo originally intended hers to be.**

**Now, that all said we really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Erza sure has her work cut out for her, she isnt just raising Orihime any more, now she has to help ichigo out as a soul reaper as well as her own training and job. How will this all go? Well, read the next chapter of course.**

**Thank you for reading, and please leave a review, we really appreciate them.**


	26. The Weight Of My New Blade

**Well, I wasn't sure if we would be able to do it, but here it is, a new chapter at the beginning of the month! Technically it was ready yesterday but...College got REALLY busy. Trust me, I couldn't have uploaded this if i tried.**

**Some of you have commented on how this story feels similar to "A Grim Tale of Reapers."...Well, thats because my writer, GreatKingrat88 is one of the co-writers of that story. If you haven't checked it out, I would suggest you do so, its a very interesting take on Bleach. Speaking of which, hereare a few words from my friend.**

**Greatkingrat88: "Hi guys, Greatkingrat88 here again. I've been pretty quiet up till now, but I have a thing or two to say. First off, two chapters in one month? "GKR, you handsome stallion, what prompted this utter madness?"**

**I'm glad you asked, imaginary representation of our readers! Let me treat you to a bit of backstory: a good long while ago, Vogo got me to start writing a crossover for Fairy Tail and Bleach. Due to a miscommunication, I was under the impression that it was generic and unremarkable, and as such I was poorly motivated to write (Vogo had a plan, much grander than I thought, and claims he told me- I can't for the life of me remember that, because I would have had far more motivation if I knew). It got to a point where I delayed so much he told me that either I shape up, or he changes writers. So I made a deal: one chapter each month, a deadline I've stuck to till then.**

**I'll admit it: at first, this fanfic was a chore. It didn't excite me. I had no idea where it was going, and the premise didn't interest me. But with time, that changed. Around the time Aizen was introduced- one of the all around most fun people to write- I began to get invested. Over time, I became more and more intrigued, and by now I DID know the greater plan- which I won't spoil for you here. So now, years later, I am finally syked enough to actually write on my own volition.**

**A few things: **

**At least two of you pointed out that "hey, this fic reminds me of Calamitas Wrath's "A grim tale of reapers!"**

**...y'all need to read your descriptions better, pardon my 'murican. Cal is a good friend of mine, and it's not just his fic- I am the co-author of it. Half of the content in there is all me. So yeah, that would explain it. And as we are not too far from the soul society arc, if you see more and more similarities, that's why- and I do intend to re-use any and all good ideas Cal and I had that would work for this fic. **

**Bleached Guest, in his/her latest review, mentioned fillers. Let me just state my position clearly: I think shonen fillers in general range between mediocre to pure cancer. Ironically, the first filler arc of bleach is better than most of post-hueco mundo bleach, despite being bland and stupid, but that's another discussion. In short: barring one of the movies, we are not doing ANY fillers whatsoever. Fillers are crap- Vogo doesn't feel quite as strongly about them as I do, but nevertheless, fillers will not be a thing. **

**KishinoKurobi, we notice and appreciate your e-peen. **

**Well, that was about it. Enjoy Erza going full Gunnery Sergeant Hartman on Ichigo."**

**Yes, GreatKingratt dosnt share some of the fondness that I do for some of the fillers. I enjoy all of them atleast SOMEWHAT. That means no bounts, no Amagi, no zanpaktou arc. I only added Nozomi because of how much I love her character and I wanted to see Aizen kill a filler villain. However, I MIGHT do something with movie 1, and _WILL_ do something with movie 4. I mean, its _HELL_, that's a missed opportunity I wont let go by. I want to do the zanpaktou arc, but I dont really know how to work it in properly myself...I feel its a huge missed opportunity personally, but one I dont know how to have it go if we were to do it at the moment. **

**Anyways, I also wanted to take a moment to tell you all about another story ive just updated as well, "A quincys fairy tail." More or less, its like this story, but instead of it having a character from fairy tail end up in bleach, its the other way around. Which character? My favorite Quincy Bambietta Basterbine. I know some of you don't think that sounds interesting, but i think you'll be pleasantly surprised once you give it a read. **

**With that all said, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please, feel free to leave us a review and give us your thoughts.**

**Thank you once again Greatkingrat88****.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

Ichigo blinked.

"Wait, you're _real_?" He said, in utter disbelief. Seeing those red locks, that staunch face, something long forgotten had resurfaced- a memory from a time when he was very young, when princess Crimson had come in through a window, no fairy tale but flesh and blood, as real as he was. As usual, when his mother had mentioned it, she had got a funny look on her face, and dismissed it. Princess Crimson, the brave warrior hero who stood up to the evils of the kingdom-

And then, a second later, reality caught up, and he saw the face of the new arrival clearly.

"_Auntie Erza_?" He said, his disbelief somehow climbing even higher, now somewhere in between Charles Darwin and Richard Dawkins.

"What- I mean, um- what?!" Was all he managed. She looked different, like a westerner of some kind, and her hair was a bright red, like something out of an anime, but it was definitely her. Her voice, the same; her face different but unmistakably Erza Scarlet, his aunt, long-time babysitter and all around fiercely protective pillar of support.

"There is much to discuss." She said sternly. "More than we can cover in one evening, and you still need your sleep. Still, some things you must know."

"Well, speak then!" Ichigo said loudly, throwing his arms up. "Because this is just getting nuttier by the second! One moment I think I'm a lunatic who just sees ghost, the next I'm a monster-slaying soldier, and now you- you are a shinigami too?"

"I have been since before you were born, yes," Erza said, nodding slowly. "More than a century, actually, but that's beside the point."

"What the hell is going on?" Ichigo insisted. "How- I mean, have you been one all along? Are you with Rukia? With the other shinigami?"

"I am _not_ with the other shinigami, no," Erza said firmly. Somewhat evasively, she continued, "You could say I'm a… freelancer of sorts. It's a long story."

"Well, what is it I need to know, huh?" Ichigo said, still reeling from the shock. "About how hollows are evil and scary? Because I already got that part!"

Erza looked him in the eye. He was familiar with the stare, how harsh she could be, but she had always been soft on him and his sisters. Now, she looked cold and matter-of-factly.

"You have been granted power, Ichigo. Great power unlike anything most souls see in a lifetime."

Ichigo flexed uncomfortably. "Um, yeah, Rukia's power. I know that. Shinigami must be really powerful. Well, I guess you'd know…"

"No, Ichigo," Erza said, shaking her head. "It is true you absorbed her power, and that it won't last forever. But you have always had power- all she has done, in the end, was awaken them."

"What?" Ichigo said confusedly, with a sinking feeling in his gut.

"You have always had power." Erza repeated. "And once Rukia's powers drain away, you will need to find a way to manage it. It burns brightly now, and hollows will be drawn to it like a moth to the flame. I am here, because you need to learn how to fight, to defend yourself and your loved ones."

"…what?" Ichigo said again. "You- you come here, out of nowhere, dropping all of… _thi_ on me, and never mind that you've basically been lying to me my whole life, and now you expect me to just-"

There was a sharp pain across his left cheek, as Erza lashed out and slapped him. She looked furious, her eyes blazing with a cold and quiet rage.

"I have _not_ lied to you." She insisted.

"Yes, you did!" Ichigo spat, putting a hand to his cheek. She had never hit him before- what the hell? "For god-knows-how-long, you've known I was strong, right? If you're a shinigami, that means you can tell stuff like that, don't it? You've known, and never filled me in! Now you barge in here and expect me to just… accept all of this? This is some crap, auntie!"

A look of guilt flashed across Erza's face. "I wanted to, believe me, but… it was not my place. I _have_ kept you and your family safe for as long as you have lived, not that you would know!"

"Your place?" Ichigo murmured. He was both angry and confused; this whole spirit world thing was confusing enough without this piled on top of it. Erza was one of his favorite people in the world, practically family and part of his life for, well, all his life- and now it turned out she had hid this secret for so long?

"Yes, my place," Erza said. "I won't say anymore on that, but I had my reasons. For respect, and family."

"Family?" Ichigo said. "You mean mom and dad-"

"Enough!" Erza said firmly. "I am not saying another word on the subject. What matters is that you have entered a world beyond your understanding, and there is no going back. Rukia may think you are an ordinary human, but believe me, you are not. One day you will be strong, Ichigo, but until then it is my job to protect you- until you can protect yourself."

"I handled myself pretty well back there," Ichigo said, thinking back to the hollow he had just purified, only minutes before.

"No, you did not," Erza said bluntly. "You are like a child playing with fire. You have no form, and while you have talent, you have no practice, no routine, no anything. You are a complete beginner, and likely to get yourself killed if you keep going this way. Rukia is truly desperate."

Ichigo felt a bit like a balloon deflating at Erza's blunt assessment. He had beaten a hollow, he had done it well enough, and he had felt good about it. If _course_ a seasoned shinigami would think he wasn't good, but… that was harsh.

"Whatever…" He mumbled, unable to mount a comeback.

"If it were up to me, your training would have begun long ago," Erza said. "But that was not my decision to make. As it is, your power is awakened. Starting tomorrow, I will begin training you until you have grasped at least the basics."

There was no room for disagreement, and Ichigo was used to being ordered around by her anyhow.

"Umm… after school, then?" He murmured lamely.

"No." Erza said. "Call in sick. The whole week. Two weeks, probably."

"What?" Ichigo protested. "But- what about your kendo?"

"I'll take a leave of absence." Erza said. "This is more important. I am not letting you take another step like this."

"…but…" Ichigo tried lamely.

"Meet me here tomorrow at seven hundred hours." Erza said, completely ignoring him. "Eat a healthy breakfast. We have training to do. If you are late, I will personally drag you out of bed, kicking and screaming if I must."

"…right." Ichigo murmured. What the hell had he got himself into?

* * *

At the crack of dawn the next day, the two of them headed out. Erza had all but given Ichigo a heart attack, giving him a rough awakening in his very own bedroom. Things like modesty had never concerned his auntie, and he was only glad nobody had seen his outraged fumbling as she towered over him by his bed. She had ignored his protests, and handed him a small pill- something called a "mod soul". At her insistence, he had swallowed it, and found himself catapulted out of his body, in shinigami form. It really was a lot more convenient than Rukia's glove, as- according to Erza, at least- the pill contained an artificial intelligence that would look after his body while his soul was out of it.

With that done, and a quick breakfast in the form of a sandwich to eat on the go, they sped out into the city. Ichigo would have asked where they were going, but was too sleepy to bother. They did not go too far- well, quite far, but not more than fifteen or so minute's worth of running; it was fascinating just how fast you could go in this form, jumping across roofs in a single bound like it was nothing. He watched Erza from behind as he followed. Knowing she had hidden this truth for so long had made him hurt, angry, but deep down he was also impressed. He was a complete novice, but even he could sense her power, radiating out from her with the slow, steady thump of a heartbeat. It felt enormous, so much greater than anything he had ever seen… and she wanted him to have power like that.

It was hard to admit, but the idea was appealing. As madly dangerous and scary as that first time had been, the rush of power had been incredible. The entire world had felt right, like he was awake for the first time in his life; it had been like… well, it was indescribable. The closest he could come was the times he had had to fight punks in the street, when his blood was pumping and adrenaline surged through his body. He was far from comfortable with this scenario, but at the same time he was much more accepting of it than he thought he should be. Power… strength. Unlike anybody else. Who wouldn't want that?

Before long, they landed in front of a seemingly innocuous candy store, quiet and grey in the morning light. It was a strangely humble place, for where it was placed in the city- tall buildings were not far off, yet here in the middle of town, almost hid away, was this one building.

"Um," Ichigo began, "is this…"

"Quiet." Erza said firmly, and marched up to the store. Fishing out some keys from a pocket, she unlocked the door and walked inside. Ichigo followed, knowing better than to disagree at this point.

The inside was as unremarkable at the outside. Simple goods, packaged pastries and candies; a small selection for a small shop. What was the idea here?

"Are we really supposed to train here?" Ichigo said, letting out a yawn.

"I said quiet," Erza said, her voice level. "You'll see soon enough."

And see, he did. Erza went to the back of the store, and in a storage room she opened an inconspicuous part of the floor, a trap door. Confidently, Erza jumped down, ignoring the ladder placed just by it. Ichigo followed suit, and a second later, he had landed. What he saw was yet another surprise in this time of surprises- if this was the basement, then it was a basement unlike any other. From the gloomy shop, lit only by the early morning sun, he had ended up in an open landscape where the sun was beaming down brightly on what looked like rocks and dirt, stretching for miles, as far as he could tell. He had to look back up, toward the ladder and opening they had come to, to convince himself he hadn't been teleported to some strange, new world. The dirt under his feet felt real. The rocks- which ranged between huge boulders to pebbles in size- looked very real. The sun looked real. There was even a slight breeze, keeping a cool and pleasant temperature.

"Whoa…" he said, looking around.

"This is where I go to train," Erza said bluntly. "It is an artificially created environment, designed to withstand power like mine. If you wonder _how_, don't ask, because I don't know. It was created by an unsavory but industrious person, the same man who owns the store above."

"Well, um, crap," Ichigo murmured. "I… I guess this isn't that big a stretch. I mean, if there can be ghosts and shinigami and monsters, why not a place like this?"

"Good attitude," Erza said, nodding. "You'll learn to keep an open mind in this world. Now, let's get started."

"Wait," Ichigo said, knowing it was at his own peril, "this… whole thing, training, with you… I mean…" He paused. What could you really say? "I mean, what the hell?"

"You have exactly thirty seconds to clarify yourself before I come at you," Erza said coolly.

"Look," Ichigo said, finally having shaken himself awake, "you're asking a whole lot. And I know you'll say it's necessary, or whatever, but… I mean, you can't just spring this on me like that and expect me to be ready to… do whatever this is, okay?"

To his surprise, Erza's face softened a little.

"I understand, Ichigo."

"You do?" Ichigo said, a little surprised.

"For all this time, you thought you knew me. And you did- no matter what you may find out about me, not one second of the time I spent with your, with your family, not one second of that was fake."

She said the words with conviction, and Ichigo believed them, but it was not quite enough.

"And now it turns out that there was… more to me than you thought. A lot more. It's a lot to take in. If I had any other choice, I would let you take some time to breathe, to accept this." Slowly, she pulled her sword out from its sheath.

"But there is no time. Your power is awake, and until you learn at least basic control and skill, it is a potential danger to you and to everyone close to you. I do not have the time to hold your hand until your feelings are calm, Ichigo. You are not five years old. When I was your age, I had gone through things you cannot even imagine- so believe me when I say that you are strong enough, in body and in mind, to keep going."

"Um…" Ichigo said hesitantly, "Was that a really roundabout way of saying 'tough break, suck it up'?"

"Just about," Erza admitted, and shrugged.

"Well." Ichigo said. This whole thing had left him all but speechless. What had she gone through? What else didn't he know about her? "I… I want to know what the hell this is, okay?"

"You know enough." Erza said. "Shinigami, ghosts, hollows. Magic. An afterlife. A corps of shinigami working to send souls on their way and purify hollows. I will tell you the full story later, but right now… I am not wasting any time."

"…okay then," Ichigo said, figuring this was as much as he'd get out of her. He reached for its sword, and pulled it off his back, assuming a basic stance. "So, how do we do this?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Erza said. She was holding her own sword down, at ease.

"Training?" Ichigo murmured confusedly.

"You think you are fit to spar with me?" Erza said dismissively. "You learn to run before you learn to walk, Ichigo. First, I will test your endurance. Drop down, and do pushups."

"…are you serious?" Ichigo said with disbelief. "All this power, a whole mystical world hidden from humanity, I'm supposed to train to become a _freaking death-god,_ and your idea of training is… _push-ups_?"

"Once I know the limits of your strength, I can adapt. I need to know how far I can push you." Erza said resolutely, and Ichigo began to realize that training might look less glamorous than he imagined. "Get down. Start."

"…you're serious." Ichigo said flatly. "Okay. Fine, I guess. You know, with this kind of power, I'm pretty sure I can do thousands of pushups before I'm done."

"You're right." Erza said. "Which is why I'll make it harder. Get down."

Somewhat defeated, Ichigo dropped down, and began pushing himself up and down, not sure what 'harder' would mean. He would not have to wait long, as Erza held her sword up. Before his eyes, it transformed, from a sleek Japanese longsword into an enormous, black hunk of metal, only vaguely in the shape of a sword.

"Whuh?" Ichigo said.

"Keep still." Erza said. Holding the sword, she sat herself cross-legged on his back, putting the enormous blade across her lap. She kept the balance remarkably well, although that was the last thing on Ichigo's mind, as he nearly collapsed under the weight. It was quite the shock that he did not, actually, fall flat on his chest. As it were, he let out a loud, pained grunt under the strain of the added weight.

"What are you waiting for?" Erza said, knocking him on the head with her knuckles. "Start doing those push-ups. I'll keep count."

"This is insane!" Ichigo grunted, just barely getting the words out.

"Start." Erza said mercilessly, knocking him on the head again. Grunting angrily, Ichigo pushed up, and let himself go down, nearly collapsing again.

"One." Said Erza. "Keep going."

"What the hell even is that sword?" Ichigo grunted, as he painstakingly pushed up again. "Aren't they just supposed to be…" He didn't finish, his sentence ending in a strained groan.

"That is advanced class," Erza said. "Two. Shut up, and keep going."

Ichigo had lost track of time when he finally collapsed. Erza's physical weight was not quite according to the regular laws of physics, he realized, even with the monstrosity of a sword across her lap. Her energy was overwhelmingly powerful, as he felt it up close, and it was like a mountain on his back.

Finally collapsed, and barely conscious, Ichigo let out a whimper, long having lost the energy to even groan anymore.

"Three hundred and fifty-six," Erza said, sounding pleased. "Get on your feet."

"Mmmmhrhfffffgg…" Ichigo said, which, in his mind, translated to 'fuck off'. His muscles were burning, and he'd have given up a long time ago if not for Erza's voice, constantly pushing him, constantly encouraging him to keep going against everything, against the pain, the strain, the common sense, his aching muscles that just wanted relief.

"Get on your feet." Erza said again. His every muscle screaming in protest, Ichigo just barely managed to push himself up to a sitting position. It took him the whole of three minutes to finally gain the energy to stand up- yet, strangely, he found he could stand perfectly well, despite the exhaustion. He had been exhausted before, but this… spiritual form had far more energy, far more resilience, than his regular body ever had.

"What no-ow," He groaned, grabbing at his poor, aching back.

"You may rest for a bit." Erza said. "Sit."

"I can sit?!" Ichigo said incredulously. "You just made me stand!"

"Sit." Erza said, and Ichigo simply did not have the energy to disagree, and slumped down to the ground.

"You need to learn to stand up, even when it feels impossible." Erza said. "You will many times feel like you are at your limit, but that is a lie your body tells you. Your limit is not reached until you are physically unable to move."

"Well thanks, mister Miyagi," Ichigo said, and rolled his eyes. He huffed, and took in long, deep breaths. Sweat was running freely all over every part of his body, and he was sure he'd feel the hurt from this for weeks to come.

"Hum?" Erza said.

"Never mind," he murmured, finally having the energy to groan and moan again. They sat there in silence for a while, Erza cross-legged, her sword now turned back to its original shape, and Ichigo just barely sitting up, rested on his arms for support.

After a while, he said,

"So, um… this place of shinigami…" He wanted to ask, to know more, but was half afraid of prodding where he shouldn't, and half lacked the energy to form a coherent sentence.

"I was once a shinigami." Erza said. "I still am. It depends on your definition."

"Definition?"

"I have the powers of a shinigami," Erza explained. "I carry a zanpakutou. I know their techniques and their magic. Yet, most shinigami would not consider me one of their own."

"Why?" Ichigo asked, genuinely curious.

"We come from the Soul Society," Erza said. "Rukia might have said as much. There are thousands of us. In the heart of the afterlife lies the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, the thirteen companies in which our corps lies. To be a shinigami is, to them, not just having the powers and skills of one, but to follow their laws, their culture, to be as they are and do as they do."

"And you didn't?"

"I was… different." Erza said evasively. "I am powerful- I do not brag, but I tell you without hesitation that I was one of their very strongest."

"Why did you leave?" The question was so obvious, so clear to ask, yet Erza seemed phased by it. Her face was inscrutable, stoic, and she fell quiet.

The silence might have gone on long enough to become awkward, except Erza's head suddenly snapped toward the opening they had come through, through which somebody could be seen climbing. Even some ways away, Ichigo recognized the figure- it was Rukia. And in her tow was Tatsuki and Orihime, following behind her.

"Oh, crap," Erza murmured. Slowly she stood up, and Ichigo followed suit. Rukia, it seemed as she got closer, was not in a good mood. At first, Ichigo thought she was mad at him, for having disappeared like this- but then he saw the look of utter fury on her face, as she made her way toward Erza- toward her, not him.

"Get away from her, Ichigo!" She cried. "Get away- she's dangerous!"

Ichigo, unsure what to do or say, stood still. What was going on?

"You!" Rukia all but snarled, marching up to Erza. She raised her palm, and cried, "Ye Lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws!"

A blue energy formed in her palm, surging toward Erza. Before Ichigo was able to cry out, Erza had caught it, and with as much effort as she would put into swatting a fly, she threw it aside, and the spell- Ichigo presumed that's what it was- sizzled out into the air.

"You are powerless now, Rukia," she said calmly. "and even if you weren't, you'd be no match for me. Let's not fight."

"TRAITOR!" Rukia cried, and this time she really did snarl. Her hand shot out, slapping Erza across the face. Erza did not even react, just taking the hit.

"Are you done?" She asked.

"We are not nearly done, betrayer!" Rukia shouted angrily.

"Well, that's a hell of a reunion," Tatsuki said with a grin, watching from the background with Orihime.

"What the hell is going on?" Ichigo said loudly.

"She is a traitor to our organization, that's what." Rukia spat. "She is dangerous, and you need to stay away from her."

"Traitor?" Ichigo said. "I don't understand."

"And you wouldn't even if I told you. Not yet, anyhow," Erza said. "For now, all you need to know is that 'our organization' are no angels, and I had a good reason for leaving."

"You stay away from him!" Rukia said. "You ran away- there was evidence-"

"Listen carefully, Rukia," Erza said, her tone firm and cold, "nothing in the world will stop me from training him. Your desperate little idea only barely works, and is liable to get people killed. And think about it- if I were truly some evil traitor, then I could have killed any of you whenever I wanted to. I know you have no reason to trust me, but you are out of options. Be angry with me if you think it helps, but I am training Ichigo."

"Erza, what… what happened?" Ichigo murmured.

"Later." Erza said. "Suffice to say I got involved in something very serious, and it went wrong."

"'Wrong' is one way of putting it, _terrorist_," Rukia said.

"Enough." Erza said. "Ichigo, training. Now. And no questions. Is that understood?"

"Um. Yes, ma'am," He murmured. Today was confusing as hell, and he was almost grateful for the distraction of pain.

"Now then," Erza said, leading him off for a bit, "let's start with the basic kendo stance…"

As Erza began teaching Ichigo the basics, how to stand and how to swing, Tatsuki walked up to Rukia. She and Orihime had, after Rukia had gone asking them if they knew where Ichigo was, decided to skip school to go find him. For all they knew, he could have been hurt, or worse. The trail, such as it was, had led them here- where, of all people, Erza was showing him the ropes. A very different Erza.

"So… what the hell was that?" Tatsuki said. "You seem like you hate her. What'd she do?"

"You heard it plain and clear," Rukia said, anger still in her voice. "She was one of us. Now, she is not. That makes her a traitor."

"Sounds awfully personal, doesn't it?" Tatsuki said. "Or are all you shinigami just frothing at the mouth whenever somebody blasphemes against your little shinigami organization?"

"She's right, Rukia," Orihime said sweetly. "You sound like you know her."

"…that was a different time." Rukia said stiffly. "Besides, you have no reason to know- you are not shinigami."

"Classified, got it," Tatsuki said, rolling her eyes. "But in general?"

Rukia sighed. "She was… one of our best once." She said the words hesitantly, as if convincing herself to speak. "And you're right. She was one of my friends. She was a friend to a lot of people. She seemed so… dependable. She helped me through something… hard." Rukia shook her head, a strange look on her face like she had just remembered something deeply unpleasant. "And then she is arrested for conspiring against… our organization. For terrorism and acts of sabotage. There's hard evidence. And somehow, she escapes and runs away. She left a lot of hearts broken that time. She's a criminal. Evidence doesn't lie."

Tatsuki gave a whistle. "Plan terrorism, then escape and be part of a family for over fifteen years? Sounds like a diabolical master plan to me."

"That would be TOTALLY diabolical though," Orihime said. "Like, going into hiding…" She shook her head. "I mean, you're wrong, Rukia." Her voice was unusually calm and resolute. "She's cared for me since I was like twelve years old. She loves his family, and she loves me. She's the greatest person in the whole world."

Rukia shook her head. "You don't know half of who she is, Orihime. I'm sorry, but you don't. She's been alive for over a century."

"I believe in her," Orihime said resolutely.

"A lot of people did," Rukia murmured. Sullenly, she looked at Erza, training Ichigo. Even in her state as it was now, she could read her reiatsu. She was in fine shape, no doubt about it-stronger, perhaps, than when she had left. Her swordsmanship was impeccable. A traitor she was, but there was no denying she made a good teacher.

Three hours later, during which time Tatsuki and Orihime had the time to go buy lunch and eat it, lazily looking on as Ichigo got thoroughly worn down by Erza, in one exercise after the next, Ichigo was finally as done as done could be. Unable to even walk by himself, Erza half supported, half dragged him toward his friends, and unceremoniously dumped him on the ground.

"Hhhufnnnnr… fffuh… buh…" Ichigo said- although 'said' was a bit of a glamorization; it was more like a series of incoherent groans and huffs. He lay on the ground, oblivious of the harsh, uncomfortable pebble-filled dirt surface that it was, just deeply relieved to be at rest. For five minutes he lay still, letting out only the odd groan, while the rest kept silent. Rukia shot Erza vicious glares, Erza avoided responding, and Tatsuki and Orihime took their time finishing their lunches.

Finally, Tatsuki kicked Ichigo lightly, and said,

"Oi, sloth-boy, get up. We saved you some dumplings, on account of you being a young shinigami who's still growing and needs his vitamins, and stuff."

"Shaddap," Ichigo groaned. "I wish I was dead or something," he groaned melodramatically. "Fifteen years of being sweet, kind and supportive, and then she snaps and turns out to be a harpy…"

It was probably not the wisest of moves to insult Erza in her presence, but Ichigo was well past caring.

"Technically, you are dead," Erza said.

"What?!" Ichigo said, looking up. He was not nearly as exhausted as he seemed, Erza decided.

"In that form, at least. 'Death' is really just the separation of body and soul."

"But I'm still alive, right?" Ichigo said anxiously, still lying on the ground. "I mean, I have a body and everything!"

"True, true," Erza said. "I don't know exactly how it works, but I'm pretty sure it will work as normal, aging and everything. Your soul, though… well, you'll probably have this look for decades. Maybe a century or more."

"Brilliant," Ichigo murmured.

"Hey, don't knock semi-eternal youth," Tatsuki added cheerily.

"Erza," Orihime said, interrupting what was sure to be yet another not-so-friendly argument between Tatsuki and Ichigo, "I think it's time you explained some things."

"Oh." Erza said, this time sounding quite guilty- Orihime had that effect on her. "Well. Er. Yes. Explanations."

"This should be good," Rukia murmured, her arms crossed.

"I'm sure there's a good reason for all this," Orihime said sweetly, "but… there seems to be a lot I don't know about you. So, please?"

Erza could do many things; face down impossible odds, slay giant monsters and fight the system at the cost of everything she had, but denying Orihime was not one of those things.

"All right," she said, and sighed. "I'll start from the beginning."

"All ears," Ichigo said, his voice a little muffled- despite still being on the ground, he had accepted Tatsuki's offer of dumplings.

Erza took a deep breath.

"I am a shinigami. I have been dead for over a century. I was sent to the afterlife from another world, one similar but different to this one. For most of my afterlife, I served the Gotei Thirteen, the thirteen divisions of shinigami. I am shinigami, and we are the guardians of lost souls, those who guide the dead to the afterlife, purify the monsters we call hollows, and protect the balance between worlds."

It sounded more dramatic than she had meant, but there was nothing to it.

Tatsuki gave a whistle.

"Well, that's a hell of a coming out confession," she said with a grin. "Don't worry- I'm sure everyone here will love and accept you for who you are anyway. Just don't flaunt your spirituality in our faces too much."

Not quite sure what Tatsuki meant, Erza decided to ignore her.

"I believed in doing good. In helping others. But I came to realize that my beliefs were not the same as that of the people I worked for. I came to realize that the people I worked for had no interest outside the status quo, not a care in the world for the suffering of common souls. So eventually, I was forced to run away. That is a _very_ short version of the story, but that's all you get."

"You _would_ say that," Rukia said angrily. "The Gotei thirteen protects the balance of souls between the worlds, and without that working, all three worlds would collapse. Our work is more important than anything else in all the worlds, and you turned your back on it because what, it didn't suit you? Because you had a moral high ground? You're a terrorist, no matter the excuse."

"Terrorists are usually idealists," Erza said, her voice unusually quiet. "So yes, I think 'moral high ground' was the issue. How exactly I left, or why… that's dangerous knowledge."

"Convenient," Rukia snorted. "You have a good reason; you just won't say what it is."

"Enough," Ichigo said. With a long, loud groan he forced himself up into a sitting position. "Now, she may just have whipped my ass so hard I'm not even sure I have one anymore, but she was there for me since I was a baby. If you're going to tell us she's secretly evil, that's going to be a no-sell for everyone here."

Rukia balled her fists, took a breath, and said,

"…I understand."

"One thing," Erza said, looking Rukia in the eye. "Renji. Momo. Shuhei. Nozomi, Rangiku, Isane… how are they all doing?"

Her voice was firm, but there was a noticeable undertone to it, loaded with emotion, far less stable than the cold, controlled tone she had kept today.

"…they're fine." Rukia muttered. "Making careers. Advancing. They moved on with their lives and they did well- no thanks to you. The only one who refuses to see what you are is vice-captain Hinamori."

"…I see." Erza said, and nodded. "Thank you. I'm glad."

"You left a lot of people behind, didn't you?" Orihime said quietly. "Were they important?"

"Yes." Erza said simply. "Yes, they were."

Without another word, Orihime walked up to her, and pulled her into a hug.

"Stupid Erza," she murmured, "keeping that to yourself for that long? You shouldn't."

"I know," Erza murmured, awkwardly patting Orihime on the head. "But it was my baggage, not yours. It's… complicated."

"I'm honestly not sure if I should join in on the hug, or if I'd ruin a moment between the two of you," Tatsuki muttered. "But yeah. That sucks. And we don't think you're a terrorist, so there's that."

"I'd join, but I can barely move," Ichigo murmured.

Erza smiled, feeling a bittersweet joy rising in her heart.

"When I was alive, I learned a few things," she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "That family's more than just blood. It's people like you," she said, putting her arms around Orihime. "I'm sad about what I lost, but I'm glad for what I have."

"Stupid onion-cutting ninjas," Ichigo murmured, not having been the only one to have been moved.

"You're not getting out of training, though," Erza added. "We'll keep doing this until you get the hang of it."

"Well, son of a…" Ichigo grunted, and Erza let out a laugh.

And despite herself, Rukia could not believe any of this was fake. Traitor she was, but she had made real bonds here- that, or she was an outstanding actor.

* * *

The pillar of light was astonishingly large, a symbol of how far she had come. Momo's mind was one of total focus, the kind only determination could bring, as she built it higher and higher. It was risky, even with the barrier of invisibility her sensei had put up; it was large enough that no amount of caution could completely mask its presence.

Risk, though, had been part of the arrangement from day one. This, here in the Rukon, was where she spent her free time now, always under the excuse of visiting her home village. Her sensei was an ornery and difficult man, the polar opposite of charismatic, but his skill was undeniable. In the years that had passed, she had learned much- more than she had ever thought possible. She had learned that the formal school of kido, the one she had been taught, was just one option, one of many ways you could work and master magic- skilled and artful in its own right, yet so narrow and limited in its scope. Unlearning it had been the hardest part, in many respects- although the demanding training and the strain it put on her body was a close second. She had many times considered giving up; for nearly a year she had thought there was no progress.

Then she had created her first spell, a pathetic attempt compared to where she was now, but so amazingly innovative compared to anything she had ever done.

She really had come far. As it was now, she was sitting cross-legged, levitating mid-air with her eyes closed as the tower grew. It was a complex exercise, building a tower simply out of magical energy, snaking upwards like vines growing out of the ground. Complex circles were aglow on the ground, the anchors of the power she called upon- imperfect, she knew, but well made. Glowing tendrils of energy were rising from them, looking almost like a mist of yellow light, forming the alien-looking spire before her, a complex mass of vines, pillars and walls.

To master magic, there were no shortcuts. On that point alone, her sensei was in agreement with her instructors back at the academy. It had seemed silly at first, just stapling energy on top of energy, but this new form of kido had turned out difficult to control. Her first attempt had been no taller than three feet before it had collapsed, and her sensei had chided her for her arrogance, believing herself capable of that much control. Now it stood tall, over thirty meters, and Momo had had to learn levitation to keep track of its growth properly. It was like a direct representation of her progress- she had slowly begun to make her own spells, to learn some of her sensei's work, and the better she learned to control it, the better she could raise the magicks.

She could not be sure, but she suspected it was not unlike the quincy method. Her magic, unlike typical kido- which was created from the user's own reiatsu- drew energy from everything around her, utilizing it perfectly, with more power than anything she had been able to create before. But power had no shortcuts, and this method, while dangerously powerful, demanded an equal amount of control. It was dangerous, not just in the sense that it could explode in your face, or backfire and send you into a feedback of energy that drained your life until you died, but dangerous because power made you feel powerful, and when you felt powerful, you felt self-assured. When you felt self-assured was when you made mistakes, her sensei had insisted, and he had turned out right. Humility before your own power was vital, because without it you might well die.

Finally having reached her limit at thirty-six meters, Momo paused, huffed, and looked at her work with some pride. The tower was, of course, not really physical matter and would shatter easily if attacked, but she could maintain its ethereal state without too much trouble.

"Enough, you," Her sensei said down from the ground. "Let it go, and come down."

"Yes, sir!" Momo said, letting the energy structure dissipate. She felt she could perhaps have gone a little further, but the old man didn't take well to being contradicted, she had learned that early on. What he said was law, and if that did not suit her, she was welcome to hit the road. So, smoothly Momo descended to the ground, letting the magical construct dissipate and crumble, stood up, and gave her sensei a bow. Master Jekkun, she called him, although the locals seemed to know him only as Jek the loner- which was how he preferred it.

"That was the biggest 'un yet." Jekkun said matter-of-factly. "Not so shit as it used t'be, I suppose."

"Thank you, master," Momo beamed. Praise came hard with the misanthropic old man, but Momo had learned to read between the line.

"Don't think you're ever done, pup," the old man said sternly, pointing at her accusingly. "Nobody studying magic ever is. You could put a thousand people like me to work for a thousand years, and still have just an iota learned outta all there is to find out."

"Yes, sensei," Momo said, and nodded. "But… I've come pretty far, I think."

"Walkin' instead of crawlin'." Her sensei said dismissively. "You ain't runnin' yet."

"Could I learn… you know, that spell? The one you told me about the other week?" Momo said hopefully. As much as she had learned from him, he still kept much from her, including some ancient, truly powerful and complex spells of destruction.

"Shoulda kept my mouth shut," master Jekkun grumbled. "That one's a five-step full incantation, an' you're looking at city-wide destruction if it goes right. Worse, if you get it wrong. You ain't ready for that till I say you is, so keep your mouth shut and don't ask."

"Yes, sensei," Momo said. She was a little disappointed, but she could never feel too sad with this much power coursing through her body; it made her feel strong, in awe of the world, like she was standing on a cloud, above everybody else. All for Erza, all so that she could one day see the woman she loved most again, to be useful to her…

It was a long road to walk. But one day, _one day_ she would be there, ready to join Erza again.

* * *

The training eventually concluded, Erza having pushed Ichigo as hard as she dared- he was still new to this, and she had to be soft on him until she was sure of was he could handle. Well, comparatively soft. The next day, training continued, Ichigo feeling the ache from yesterday. Yet, Erza would not give him time to recover, because strength never came easy. After a quick breakfast, it was five hours' worth of basic kendo, strength exercises, and basic reiatsu control. He blazed with power, but just like herself once, he had no control over it.

Life was funny that way. Once the learner, she was now once more the teacher- she would be his master, and he would be her apprentice- and that was a tremendous responsibility, because he would live or die based on what she could teach him. She never showed it, not for one second, but it hurt to push him so hard, to force him to go through pain and hardship. He was still the little five-year-old boy who wanted a bedtime story, in her mind, the little boy who depended on her almost as much as he depended on his parents. But unlike Masaki, she could look past that, because if she didn't, it would be he who paid for it, not her.

Eventually, they broke for lunch. Ichigo was trembling with effort, sweat trickling down his face and chest, and gratefully collapsed to the ground at her command. Erza had bought simple lunch boxes- no time would be wasted on cooking- and they ate together, in silence.

"So, uh," Ichigo said after a while, slowly chewing down a rice ball, "how long is this training gonna be…?"

"As long as necessary." Erza said evenly, knowing that answer would be far from satisfying.

"I can't be away from school for too long, you know," he murmured tiredly. "Shinigami business and all, I still have to get an education… right?"

He sounded afraid, Erza realized. But of what?

"Because, you know, I…" He said lamely. "…forget it."

Erza sighed. "Yes, Ichigo, you will get back to school eventually. Your life as a human isn't over just because of this."

"Oh. Good." Ichigo said, nodding, and Erza heard a hint of relief in his voice.

"Let me tell you something," Erza said, deciding to let this break go on for a little while, "back in the soul society, the thirteen court guard divisions train their recruits in an academy. It's not that different from a normal school, actually, aside from the magic and spiritual techniques."

Ichigo let out a small smirk. "Sort of like magical afterlife Hogwarts?"

Erza couldn't help but grin. A sense of humor was a good sign.

"Not _that_ cool. We didn't have hippogriffs or magic potions, just hard work and all the techniques you need. We did have a Dumbledore-looking person, though, only much harsher." Erza said, staring off into the distance. "Anyway, point being: in the afterlife, very, very few people have the spiritual potential to become shinigami. Most souls just exist, and they don't need more than a bit of water to sustain themselves. And among the few who have that potential, only the best of the best have a chance to become truly strong. It's fair to say the vast majority of recruits will never become high ranked because they lack the power."

"Huh." Ichigo said. "Doesn't sound fair."

"Life's not fair." Erza said, her voice being the equivalent of a shrug. "The afterlife is no different. Point being, I used to teach there, a long time ago. For two years, I never saw a single student who had nearly as much power as you. You don't know what this means, but I'd say your power is near that of a fifth seat- that is to say, a very highly ranked officer. You have been granted an enormous amount of power, more than any regular soul could dream of, and when you get shinigami powers of your own, you have the unique opportunity to one day rise to the very top. I am not sure how or why, Ichigo, but you are exceptional."

"Oh." Ichigo said simply, and blinked. That was rather overwhelming to hear- he hadn't figured he was much stronger than their rank and file. "Me? Really?"

"I have no doubt." Erza said firmly. "Which is why it's so important you be trained properly. You have been granted power, enormous power, and you're just a kid still."

"I'm not a kid," Ichigo grunted.

"Yes, you are," Erza said firmly. "You are a kid, and with this power of yours, you are a kid who has been given a machine gun. But unlike a machine gun, you can't put the safety on and lock it away until you're old enough to handle it. It's part of who you are now, as much as your brains, your blood and your skin, and hiding it isn't an option. That's why I am going to push you, and push you, and push you, because if I don't then you could die. Or somebody else. There are so, so many things that could go wrong, and the only way to stop them from happening is to act now, to prepare you for it. Is that clear?"

"…yes ma'am," Ichigo said tamely. She sounded completely serious; this was no joke. "But look… what if there's a hollow attack while we train?"

"Then I'll deal with it." Erza said.

"But-"

"Let me be clear," Erza said, and there was that hint of cold in her voice, "I am responsible for you now. You didn't have a choice in that, but I didn't either. You are my responsibility, and I will not allow you to use your powers outside this room until I say you can."

"Even if there's an emergency?" Ichigo said defiantly.

Without a word, Erza stood up, took a few steps back, and stood herself astride.

"Pick your sword up," she said.

"Um, okay." Ichigo said, and slowly got to his feet, hoisting up the massive blade.

"Now cut me."

"What?" Ichigo said, with disbelief.

"Cut me." Erza said simply. "That's an order."

"You can't be serious," Ichigo said.

"Yes, I am," Erza said. "Hit me. Put all you have into it, and hit me, or so help me, I will break your arms."

"…you really mean that?" Ichigo said, sounding puzzled. Was she crazy?

"NOW!" Erza barked. Taking a deep breath, Ichigo raised his sword, took a step forward, closed his eyes and brought the blade down, as hard as he could. Horror images flickered across his mind; Erza bloodied, cut in half, badly injured-

Then the blade connected, and it was like smashing it against concrete. Opening his eyes, he saw the blade rested on her shoulder, seemingly with no effect.

"Again." Erza said firmly. Even more confused, but quite relieved, Ichigo hit again, putting as much effort as he could into it. His eyes were open this time, and he felt baffled as Erza brought it to a complete halt… with nothing but her index finger. There was no blood, and no matter how he pushed, he could not make her budge.

"Here is a lesson," Erza said calmly, maintaining her position effortlessly, "reiatsu works nothing like normal physics. It's all about strength. Every ability you ever use, every special move or ordinary strike, will be effective relative both to your strength and the strength of your enemy."

"The hell does that mean?" Ichigo grunted, finally letting up, putting the tip of his sword in the ground. There wasn't even a mark on her skin.

"It means that two people of roughly equal power and skill will fight not unlike two humans, in a sense," Erza explained, "but when one is much stronger than the other, there is no chance. You cannot cut me, because you cannot even muster the power to overcome the basic flow of reiatsu in my body. In essence, the power I let out unconsciously is greater than the best you can put out consciously. That is the difference in power."

"Great," Ichigo murmured. "You're way stronger. Got it."

"You're not listening," Erza snapped. "What do you think will happen when you run into a hollow stronger than you, one you can't cut very well, or cut at all? One that's cunning and vicious? You have power, Ichigo, but unless you can harness it, you are wheat for the reaper's scythe."

"…I see." Ichigo murmured.

"You are part of this world now, Ichigo," Erza said firmly. "There is no turning back. One day, you will lose Rukia's power, and when that happens you will have to find powers of your own. It's the only way you can protect yourself and your family."

"I-I understand," Ichigo said. "I won't talk back. It's just…"

"A lot at once, yes," Erza said, grabbing her sword. "Before you learn anything special, any magic, any special move, you must learn the basics and learn them well. You should fear the man who has practiced one move a thousand times more than you should fear the man who has practiced a thousand moves once. You will learn how to move in a sword fight, how to push your body, how to hold your sword and hit with it… you will learn to crawl before you learn to walk, and some time, far from now, you will run."

"To protect my family," Ichigo said, nodding resolutely.

"It is good to have a reason to fight," Erza said, nodding. "But my first family, from when I was alive, taught me that protecting other people is good- but it's even better if they can protect themselves. Before you protect anything, you need to realize you _can't_ protect anything. Not all of the time. Your sisters, Tatsuki, Orihime… they may all need protecting at some point, but they can't be dependent on you."

"I understand." Ichigo said resolutely. "So… shall we continue?"

"Yes," Erza said, nodding with a pleased look on her face.

* * *

It waslate at night, not long from midnight, when the two of them found themselves back at the Kurosaki residence. Erza had only intended to see him to the door before heading back to her place, but when they got back, Isshin was waiting for them outside. Having a smoke outside, the butt of his cigarette glowing like a firefly in the dark, he gave them a knowing look and said,

"She knows."

Ichigo just looked confused, but Erza felt that sinking feeling, the kind any first-time bungee or parachute jumper gets when they make the leap, and see the earth coming at them a thousand miles an hour.

Shit.

"What?" Ichigo said. "Look, if it's about me being late, it's not what you think. I wasn't out getting drunk or doing drugs or anything, so-"

"Boy, you'll wish that was all it was." Isshin said grimly, sighing.

"What?" Ichigo said. "Auntie?"

"…it may be, just may be, that your mother is spiritually aware," Erza croaked, trying to muster the energy for what was to come. This was no surprise, of course- years of inactivity aside, Masaki _was_ a quincy, and reading spiritual signatures was second nature to her. "It just may be that she sort of explicitly forbade me from doing, er, what we've been doing."

"Wait, mom _knows_?" Ichigo said, with the horror of a teenager who, with the honest naïveté that came with his age, believed there were things you could hide from your mother. "What- what the hell is going on?"

"We'll get there." Isshin said. "Best get inside for now. You too, Erza. She'll hunt you down if you don't."

"Oh, crap," Erza murmured. "All right then." Better to just take the bull by the horns. Masaki was one of her best friends. Surely it couldn't be _that_ bad?

…well, it totally could, and she had probably just jinxed it.

In silence they walked in, still in shinigami forms- the idea had been for Ichigo to sneak in; Masaki had not been expected back for another day or so. Feeling confused, in Ichigo's case, and feeling like she was marching up the scaffold for her beheading in Erza's case, they walked into the kitchen. Masaki was sitting at the table. She had a frighteningly calm look on her face, the only hint of anger being her furrowed brows. Quietly, they both took a seat, Isshin being the last to join them. For half a minute, they sat in silence, Erza feeling monstrously awkward, afraid, and more than a little defiant.

"Look, mom," Ichigo began awkwardly, "we can… we can uh, explain. Let's just talk about it-"

"Before we start," Masaki said, ignoring him, her voice quiet and noticeably restrained, "I'm just going to lay down the ground rules. Ichigo, Isshin, be quiet. Erza… well, we'll see about you."

Knowing nothing she could say would make it better, Erza just nodded.

"So," Masaki said, in her best judgmental, son-I-am-disappointed kind of tone, "you just couldn't stay away, could you?"

"Masaki, I didn't-" Erza tried, but she was cut off.

"You shut UP," Masaki snarled, her voice rising with anger. "I put this much effort into protecting him, _all his life_, and you just ignore everything I say, because you think you know better what's best for him than his mother? You arrogant little-"

Her voice had risen to a shout by the last sentence, and Erza simply kept herself quiet. Masaki was angry, very angry, and nothing she could say at the moment would calm her down. For five minutes, Erza kept quiet, stared into the table, and let Masaki lay into her. It was a flurry of insults, mixed with motherly self-righteousness and protective instinct, and more than a few guilt trips. It was stressful, hurtful, and more than a little unfair, and Erza had to keep reminding herself that she was her friend, that she was only looking out for her firstborn, that she was doing what she was sure was right…

"…I mean, did you even _think_ about what this meant?" Masaki snarled. "You've pulled him into _your_ world now, Erza, and he can't go back! You put him right in the way of all these monsters, all these…" She ran out of breath to scream with, and paused only to take a breath. "I mean, how long before one of your asshole shinigami pals get their eyes on him and make him a target? Did you think about that, Erza? Did you think at all? You stupid, reckless, worthless-"

"Mom, wait," Ichigo said, trying to cut in, "it's not fair-"

"QUIET!" Masaki snarled. "I don't know how she roped you into this, but don't think you're off the hook, young man!"

Ichigo shut his mouth, caught between his loyalty to Erza and the undeniable force that was his mother.

"Right." Masaki said. "You came crying to our doorstep once, Erza, and we took you in. We made you part of our family. You helped raise the kids, even. I know those fascists back in the soul society left their mark on you, and you can't help that, but not everyone has to be a soldier for your cause without a cause. I thought you respected my judgment. I thought you respected this family. Clearly, you don't."

"Look," Erza mumbled, "just let me say-"

"I'M NOT DONE." Masaki said, a wild look in her eyes. "You're not welcome here anymore, do you understand? I don't need a backstabbing bi-"

"STOP!" Erza cried, slamming her palm into the table. She stood up, a fire in her eyes. Masaki had had her time, and Erza was not about to let her continue unopposed. "I respected it when you raised your children ignorant of all the threats around them! I respected it when you lied to them about the spiritual world! We all make decisions, hard decisions that might seem wrong but aren't- so I never told him a thing! I never told him his dad was a shinigami once, and I never told him his mom was a quincy!"

Masaki gasped. "You did now! You're unbelievable, Erza!"

"You are a quincy, Masaki," Erza said fiercely. "Sensing energy is nothing to you. So look at your son. Feel his reiatsu. Feel for even a trace of _my_ energy in him!"

"Don't try to distract-" Masaki began, but Erza was not letting go.

"Do it!" She insisted. "See for yourself if it was by my hand that this was done! That's the least you can do! You can call me a backstabbing bitch, sure, but you owe me at least this much!"

"…fine," Masaki growled. She looked at Ichigo, viewing his energies carefully. Her furious glare turned into confusion, frustration, then anger again.

"…I don't understand," she murmured.

"It's not me," Erza said gravely. "It was another shinigami, somebody I haven't seen since I left. I only picked up on it when he got back from that tournament with Tatsuki and Orihime. Somebody else's power, not mine- and all I am doing is teaching him how to handle it."

"It's true, mom," Ichigo said eagerly. "Erza didn't do this- her name is Rukia, and she was the one who-"

"Quiet," Masaki said, her voice having sunk below the level of a shout, at least.

"I kept quiet because I knew you were angry, and you don't listen when you're this angry," Erza said, keeping her voice calm, if not friendly. "You needed to shout. You needed somebody to blame. That's fine. But the truth is this was inevitable, always was. If not now, then later. Your son is strong, Masaki, too strong to go unnoticed in the long run. At least now I can train him."

"Just like you always wanted, right?" Masaki said bitterly.

"For his sake, yes," Erza admitted. "He's… extraordinary. His sisters don't even come close-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Masaki snapped. "All I wanted was for him to go to school, get a normal life, find some girl to settle down with, maybe grandkids eventually… you know, have a _life_. Without having all of this hanging over him."

"I know," Erza said, and nodded. "And I understand. You said those 'fascists' left a mark on me- but don't you think the quincies left a mark on you, too?"

Masaki flinched.

"They did." Erza said, "So I don't blame you. You just wanted a normal life. But we don't have that choice. It's not an option anymore. And whether you like it or not, I have to teach him, or he'll have no way of protecting himself."

"You know, I'm still here-" Ichigo tried.

"Quiet," Erza and Masaki said in unison.

"Goddamnit," Masaki mumbled. "I just…"

"I will make him strong," Erza said resolutely. "I will teach him everything I can. He will be ready to take on anything. I will make him_strong_, Masaki."

"That's what I was afraid of," Masaki mumbled, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.

"I think we need some time to calm down, okay?" Said Isshin, finally daring to speak up. "A good night's sleep will do us some good. We can discuss this in the morning. Sound good?"

Masaki just nodded weakly, and Erza nodded with her. "Tomorrow," she said. "We'll talk tomorrow."

"Fine," Masaki said. "And um… I'm sorry."

That could not have been easy, not with so much self-righteous rage built up, and Erza appreciated that.

"There's nothing to forgive," She said simply. "I'll see you later."

* * *

With the worst of the drama having died down, Ichigo snuck away from the table. After getting his body back, he went outside; he needed some fresh air, and badly. He hadn't seen his mother this angry since two years ago, when he had got into a fight with a couple punks twice his age. He had won, but that hadn't mattered. His mother, love her as he might, could be a bit bullheaded.

He stared up at the night sky. As much as training made him ache, this whole ordeal had made him feel much worse- the two women he loved most in the world shouldn't be fighting like this, and he hadn't been able to do much about it either. He would think to himself that life was funny, weird, crazy, but it seemed superfluous by now. Crazy was everywhere, no escaping it.

After a minute or two, his father joined him, lighting a cigarette. He had that haunted look on his face, the one he always got when mom was on the war path- she had always been the one in charge at home, something his dad never seemed to mind- but he also knew when to get out of the way.

"Want one?" Isshin muttered. "I'd tell you not to smoke, but shit like this is what made me start smoking in the first place. You're not likely to die of lung cancer the way you are now, anyhow."

"…no." Ichigo muttered. He looked at his dad, then back up to the skies.

"Hey, pop," he mumbled, "is it true?"

"What part?" Isshin said, blowing out some smoke. "The whole afterlife thing, us keeping this from you, leaving marks…?"

"Were you a shinigami?" Ichigo said bluntly.

"Oh." Isshin said sounding guilty. "Uh. Yeah. A really strong one, too. Lost my powers, decided to stay behind, and that's a long story for another day. But yeah, I was."

"So I get it from you, huh?" Ichigo muttered, and sighed.

"Don't be so sure," Isshin said. "Your mom is plenty strong, too- I guess you don't know what a Quincy is?"

"Nope," Ichigo said, shaking his head.

"Well, son, let's just say there's humans with powers too," Isshin said. "You got this from both your mom and your old dad, I'm sure." He took another puff of his cigarette, then dropped it to the ground, and put it out with his shoe.

"To be honest… that makes me kind of proud." He said solemnly, sounding so different from his normal, goofy self. "I always knew you'd go places, son. If you turn out to be a chip off the old block… that's not so bad."

Ichigo frowned.

"Hang on. I come home, and aside from mom shouting at Auntie Erza, she acts like I'm some… I dunno, like I had come home saying I just knocked a girl up, and I'm also gay and a junkie, but you're… cool with this?"

"Dunno about 'cool'," Isshin said, "but being a shinigami teaches you things. Your mom's got good reason to be angry at the people she came from, but me… I was a soldier for a long time, and I can tell you it's better to have power than not having it. You're better off with 'em than without 'em, at least. I ain't asking you to go and be monstrously strong like your auntie, but having enough of it to protect yourself… that's good."

Ichigo nodded. "Uhm. Thanks, dad."

"Don't mention it," Isshin said, and nodded. "And don't be angry with your mom neither. She had her reasons."

"I'm not," Ichigo said, shaking her head. "I never could."

"Good lad," Isshin said.

"Hey, dad…" Ichigo said ponderously. "Erza. Did you know her back then?"

"…I did," Isshin said apprehensively.

"What was she like?"

"That's dangerous territory, son," Isshin said, lightning another cigarette. "Even I don't know what happened to her. But… suffice to say I used to be her boss back in the days. She's a good person, and that's what matters."

"So she betrayed the Gotei Thirteen, then?"

"She told you that much?" Isshin said.

"Rukia did."

"Kuchiki Rukia?" Isshin said. "She was the one?"

"You know her?" Ichigo said confusedly.

"Long story. Her family's a big deal back there. As for treason… I don't know. But I don't see your auntie doing nothing if it wasn't the right thing to do. That's all I need to know, and that's all you need to know."

"Sure, dad," Ichigo said, nodding. "Thanks."

"Twice in one night?" Isshin snorted. "Watch yourself, boy, or people might think you have manners."

"You'll keep a secret, won't you?" Ichigo said with a grin. "Can't have people ruining my bad reputation."

"My lips are sealed," Isshin said. "Now, head inside and get to sleep. If I know Erza, you got a hell of a week ahead of you."

"Don't I know it…" Ichigo murmured, and headed back inside. This week had been a conga line of dramatic reveals, and somehow his parents being in on this didn't even surprise him. In a way, he was even grateful for the training- at least he'd have something to take all of his focus. Quietly he went to bed, and soon fell asleep.

* * *

**And there we go. Wow, that was ALOT of drama wasnt it? Well, I figured the story would be far more interesting if his parents told him right out what they were and how they felt about the whole situation. **

**As for Momo's training...Yeah, she is going to be significantly more powerful than she was in cannon by the time we get to the soul society arc. Just letting you all know that right now.**

**Not much else for me to say about this chapter really. I do hope all of you enjoyed it quite alot. **

**Please, if you could, leave a review for us. Reviews make us want to work harder, do better, and upload the next chapter even quicker. It REALLY means alot. **

**Thank you! **


	27. Road to hell paved with good Intentions

**I got a surprise for you all this April 1st, a new chapter! Huzah! I do hope you all enjoy it.**

**Please leave any comments and criticism in the form of a review. We don't care if its positive or negative, We'll still appreciate it.**

**Thank you once again Greatkingrat88****.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

Ichigo was not able to get much sleep that night, which was why, on the universal principle of 'fuck it', that he got up quite early. After a quick shower, he found himself munching quite slowly on a bowl of increasingly soggy cereal, lacking the drive to actually cook anything. After a little while, his mother came down, and wordlessly joined him. She seemed worse for the wear, looking drained, even exhausted- last night had to have been hard on her, and he wondered if she had gotten any more sleep than he had. Probably less.

Looking at her, it was like seeing somebody new- somebody who had lied to him, deceived him, even to a point where it had endangered him. But it was also the person who had sat in with him when he was seven years old and sick with fever, who had made him cocoa and read him stories. It was the person who had listened to him when he was angry, comforted him when he was sad, and told him off when he had been a brat. It was the person who still worked the same part time job so her family could make ends meet- his dad was well meaning all right, and not a bad doctor, but his clinic turned a very small profit.

In short, the person who sat across him at the breakfast table was a liar. And also the person he loved the most in the whole wide world. No matter how angry it had made him, no matter how justified that felt, he couldn't be angry with her. It was just impossible.

Hell, somehow the bags under her eyes, the messy hair, the weary look… somehow, it made him feel guilty.

Which made no sense. After all, he was the wronged one here. She wasn't even trying to manipulate him, just chewing down some toast. But somehow, just seeing her like this- as less than the happy, loving mom she always was- made him feel wrong.

"Uh, so," he began, not sure where to go.

"Yes?" Masaki said, her voice just above a whisper.

"Um." He said, trailing off for a bit. "Uh, er. We should… talk. Right?"

"I know you're mad," Masaki said quietly. "Just please don't shout at me. Yuzu and Karin are still asleep, and I don't want them to hear us fighting."

"N-no, I won't scream," Ichigo said. Either his mom was the most deviously cunning manipulator in existence, or she knew how to twist a knife without even knowing that she did it. Which made no sense. But nevertheless, she was doing it. "It's just… I mean, there's stuff I wanna know."

Masaki nodded. "Such as?"

Ichigo blinked. Where did you even begin?

"It's not every day you find out your mom and dad are like… spiritual superhero-people, or something," he murmured. "Um," he said, realizing there was a lot of 'ums' in his words at the moment, "um, what about your family? These… quincies?"

Masaki sighed.

"I don't know all of the history myself. The short of it is, once upon a time there were a lot of humans who could manipulate spiritual energy just by drawing on it from their surroundings. Quincies. They date back… at least a thousand years. Then there were wars with the shinigami, and almost all of them died out. Some of them went to Japan, and began thinking in ways that would have made Adolf Hitler proud. Your cousin Ishida's grandmother was one of them. I was supposed to have married Ryuken, you see, but your dad came along."

Ichigo swallowed. That was a lot of information to process all at once.

"…uh huh." He managed at last. "So you're like… a not-nazi version of these people. That's good."

"There's a lot more details, and I'll tell you more when we have time," Masaki said, gesturing toward the clock. She had work soon, naturally. "For now, ask away."

"Um. Yeah. So what about dad?"

"A big shot among the shinigami," Masaki said. "He lost his powers, and decided to fake his death and start a new life here. I don't really know a lot about the shinigami. Your aunt and your father are the only ones I've really known, and they mostly keep quiet about their past."

Ichigo nodded. "And Auntie Erza…"

"Much the same as your dad. Exiled, new life. We took her in a couple of months after your dad and I became a couple."

Ichigo took a deep breath. It was time to ask the big question.

"Mom, why did you hide this from us?"

There was a slight twitch at Masaki's eyebrow, a small tremble, and somehow Ichigo felt like a bastard.

"You know, growing up under the quincies…" She said, sighing. "It was duty this, duty that. Superior this, inferior that. My great aunt wanted me to essentially be a baby machine for Ryuken. To have 'pure' children."

"Gross," Ichigo mumbled.

"Yes," Masaki said, and nodded, "but it wasn't just that. For the longest time… no freedom, no respect, no anything. I was expected to do nothing but serve the quincy cause, which was whatever my aunt said it was. It was… awful. Everything was so full of hate. Everything we did was coloured by who was inferior, who we were better than, how we needed to stay pure. It was like a cult- no, it was a cult. I never met any quincies beside my family, not ever, and as far as I know they might all be dead. Well… almost all. But then came your father, and he was so… different. We were supposed to think of shinigami as monsters, and he was anything but. He was… you could call him my rebellious phase. Except it wasn't a phase, and he made me happy. But as far as I knew, from what he and Erza told me, the shinigami weren't much better. All my life, I went around thinking that the spiritual world was nothing but trouble, nothing but angry, hateful people, monsters, and…"

She sighed, and shook her head.

"I just wanted a normal family. I just wanted so badly to be normal. I wanted my kids to grow up and be whoever they wanted to be, without this whole thing hanging over them. It's not fair. Nobody should have to live their childhood with 'there's a hidden world full of monsters out to get you' hanging over their head. Well, also… I guess I didn't like the idea of being wrong. You don't know it, but you will one day- when you have kids, you'll do anything to protect them, and when somebody else say you're not doing it right, you won't like it."

Ichigo nodded. "I… understand. I guess."

Masaki shook her head again, slowly. "I think deep down I always knew she was right. But I just kept pushing it away, acting like I could just protect you all the time… but I can't, huh?"

The way she looked at him made something in him ache.

"Auntie told me," he murmured, "that protecting others is great. But sometimes… you have to let them protect themselves. Because you can't move forward when you're dependent on someone else."

Masaki nodded. "Stupid Erza and her simple wisdom…" she muttered. "Yeah, I was wrong. That's about it, I suppose." She sounded quite defeated.

"You did great." Ichigo said firmly. "You're the best mom I could ever ask for, and don't you ever forget it."

"Thanks." She said simply, and smiled. "Well… I have to get to work now, and I think I sense Erza coming our way. Good luck, Ichigo."

Ichigo just nodded. He was still just fifteen, still just a boy, and saying the right words when there was emotion running through you was just not his strength. He knew what mattered, though. Masaki was his mom, and she cared about him and his sisters more than anybody else.

* * *

Before they knew it, two weeks had passed, although they sometimes felt like two months, two years, two eternities to Ichigo. He ate, he slept, and above all else, he trained. There was kendo form. There was reiatsu control. There were basics of everything. More than everything there was fighting, because Erza turned out to be a very practical, hands-on kind of teacher. "Hands-on" meaning that his fingers, arms, legs, constantly ached, that he even had a fractured rib or two. The training was hard, and no doubt.

She was an experienced mentor though, Ichigo noticed. She constantly pushed him, but not too hard- but almost. She always kept her level of fighting just slightly above his, enough that he had a chance to fight and learn. When he had lost a bout, she would retrace the steps that led him there, force him to work out why exactly he had lost, make him repeat it until he knew it, before starting all over again. Where before his head had been filled with questions of mathematics, literature, science, culture, and everything else he might have been thinking of in his free time, it was now violence. Structured, carefully measured violence in so many shades more than Ichigo could ever have imagined, all day, every day, not even Sundays off. Because as Erza put it, danger doesn't take a vacation and neither will you.

Two weeks after his training he was… something else. It wasn't nearly enough, Erza said, and Ichigo believed her- but at least now, he swung his sword without leaving huge openings. He charged forward with a plan in mind. He knew his limits, if only because they had been thoroughly beaten into him.

So it was that Sunday of the second week, by evening, Ichigo finally collapsed onto his ass, sweat dripping off him, having been thoroughly tired out by one of Erza's training regimens. He took a moment to breather, and Erza sat down cross-legged across him, bringing out a couple of snack boxes, prepared by his mother. Wordlessly, Ichigo sunk his teeth into a sandwich, and a couple of minutes passed as he ate, breathed, and let himself relax. Erza ate too, although Ichigo could tell she had barely broken a sweat.

"So…" He murmured at last, taking a couple of deep breaths, "How uh, how am I doing?"

"To be honest, I'd prefer to train you for at least five years." Erza said. "And by 'prefer', I mean 'you can kiss your free time goodbye'."

Ichigo groaned. "Can I at least go back to school?"

"In that regard?" Erza said, and nodded. "You are passable. I trust that you have the strength to not be overrun by simple hollows, and if you listened, then you also have the brains to not take on something beyond your level."

Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief. 'Passable' was not much, but somehow that simple word made him feel proud. His auntie, the great big shinigami, thought he was okay. It was uplifting.

"Don't you worry," he murmured, resting himself on his arms, "if it's too big, I'll leg it. Let you handle it."

Erza nodded. "Or you'll be sorry."

"Yes, yes, as in I'll wish the hollow got to me first," Ichigo said, waving off the implied threat. Not that she wouldn't make good on it, not that she didn't make a convincing bully, but the threats had lost their edge just a little.

"We'll have to work on your control," Erza said, ignoring his comment. "By that I mean your spirit power, and nothing else. It is probably your biggest weakness."

"I'm crazy strong, right?" Ichigo said. "That's what I keep hearing."

"You are," Erza admitted. "But most of it goes to waste. Let's say…" She hesitated a little, thinking for a short while. "When you want to make toast, you set the toaster to the exact heat and time you want… actually, that's a terrible analogy. Spirit energy is more like…" She grumbled, and rummaged her mind for an appropriate analogy. "Screw it." She murmured at last. "Your output is much, much bigger than you need. You have power, but you use too much energy for everything you do. You blaze it away, which means you tire out much faster. It's like doing the dishes with a high pressure hose- yes, that's it!" She said, nodding proudly to herself, finally having thought of the right analogy.

"High pressure water," She continued, "when all you need is an even stream. Learn to control your power, and you will be very powerful indeed."

"Right…" Ichigo said. "I'm a rookie, I get it. But I think I'm doing pretty well, all things considered. Right?"

"No, you're a scrub," Erza said casually, shooting Ichigo's confidence down bluntly. "You're stronger than most normal shinigami, but most of them would still beat you. In almost any case, skill beats power. Control is a skill, and it needs to be learned."

"…so how long did it take you to learn?" Ichigo asked, feeling like he wouldn't like the answer.

"Aside from the five years in academy, it took me decades to perfect," Erza said casually. "I'm still not happy with it, to be honest."

"Great." Ichigo said, sighing. "But I can fight hollows. I'm that strong at least."

"Yes." Erza said flatly.

"Well, whatever gets the job done…" Ichigo murmured.

Erza looked at him with steel in her eyes.

"Listen carefully. You must never let yourself be the idiot with a lot of power who just runs in and hopes for the best because he's that strong. That's how you get yourself killed. I've been there, and it's stupid. You already have the passive benefits of a strong energy- you're durable. You could endure serious injuries and keep going, wounds that would kill a human. But with focus, with training, you could learn to fight literally for days if you had to. Rather than being able to go on despite a serious injury, you could learn to avoid it in the first place. If you are in control of yourself, you could rise to the highest level of shinigami, and I don't say that lightly."

"…gotcha." Ichigo said, and nodded, knowing better than to contradict her. "Skill beats power."

"Almost always." Erza said.

"Almost?"

"…let me tell you about the Gotei," Erza said slowly. Ichigo couldn't help but feel a pang of excitement; this was a subject she had said precious little about.

"Their highest tiers of fighters are the captains and their vice-captains." Erza began, and despite her serious tone, there was something wistful about her as she began to explain. "The vice-captains are giants in their own right. Fiercely trained, veteran soldiers who would floor somebody like you without effort. But the captains… they are titans, Ichigo. There are thirteen of them, and they are the fundament of the Gotei's strength."

"That good, huh?" Ichigo said, listening intently.

"You have no idea," Erza said. "What makes them so strong is not just their raw power, their experience, but their expertise. These are the people who have developed their zanpakutou to its final stage. It is a technique of unsurpassed power."

"Huh?" Ichigo said, looking at his own zanpakutou. "Final stage?"

"Another discussion," Erza said dismissively. "Suffice to say there's a lot more to the sword than meets the eye. "Among them, these titans, is one man they call 'the demon of Zaraki', a vicious thug from the most hellish district in the afterlife. He is Kenpachi, the foremost fighter. Their champion, if you will." She began undoing her shihakusho, and slid it off, leaving her only in her chest wrappings. Puzzled, Ichigo looked at her, while at the same time trying to not linger too long anywhere inappropriate. Thoughts of modesty, however, were superseded by what he saw. Scars, large and small, littering her arms, her shoulder, her stomach. Some almost faded, little more than a white line, other being marked by a thick, red scar tissue. There was no doubt about it- his auntie had seen her share of fighting.

"D-demon, right?" Ichigo mumbled, as he eyed her scars.

"He gave me this," She said, gesturing at her left shoulder, where a red mark ran down her chest, down her side, disappearing under her belt. "It goes down to the hip. The demon of Zaraki gave me this, for no reason other than he wanted to, because he lives to fight. Skill almost always trumps power. He is the exception."

"…I see," Ichigo mumbled. What had she been through? She had had a whole life, it occurred to him, before she came here. "Why do you show me this?"

"Because this demon," Erza said, distaste in her mouth, "is everything you shouldn't be. Not because he's a bastard, or because he's a psychotic monster- although those are bad things, don't be those either- but because he wastes all of his talent because he is addicted to the thrill of fighting. He is fiercely powerful, but he could be so much more if he put his back into it and trained. You could go far on raw strength alone, Ichigo, far enough to even rival a captain- but you wouldn't be half the fighter you could be." She put her coat back on, and tied it together neatly. "There is no excuse for that kind of sloppiness. We fight to protect ourselves and our own, and because of that it's our duty to be strong. Not for ourselves, but for our family and friends."

"…I understand." Ichigo mumbled, not sure how to feel.

"You don't, but it's nice of you to try." Erza said matter-of-factly. "Train. Fight. Find a goal to do it for. Never stop. Do that, and you will become truly strong. There are no shortcuts. You're strong and you have potential, but it takes hard work and focus."

"Yes, sensei," Ichigo mumbled.

"It's been a while since anybody called me that," Erza said. "I mean, the kids at the dojo do, but… it's not the same as this."

"Is that a problem?"

"No, no," she said dismissively. "I like it, actually."

Ichigo nodded.

"You've come far, actually." Erza admitted. "Most of it is ahead of you, but… you've done all right."

"Thanks," Ichigo said. "So um… I was wondering, while we were training…"

"Yes?"

"Who looked after the town? Hollows and all?"

"The shopkeeper." Erza said. "He's a former shinigami himself, and powerful at that. He might seem like an idiot, sometimes, but that's a complete and utter lie. For now, he helps us- no doubt keeping an eye on us in the process."

Ichigo nodded. "All right. Anything else I should know?"

"Not till I tell you so," Erza said. "Training is done for the day. Monday you go back to school, and after that is done, you come right here. Understood?"

"Yes, sensei," Ichigo said.

He sat, just sat, and relaxed himself. His muscles burned, just a little, like they should after a good workout, and it struck him how far he had come in just two weeks. Erza had started to cultivate his power, and it had already made him stronger. The first day, Erza on his back with that enormous sword had been exhausting. Now he could do it for an hour before he started to get tired. He could spar for hours straight- as he often had- without doing more than sweating. This kind of endurance was amazing. This body… it felt so much like a human body in so many ways, yet it was so obviously inhuman. Superhuman. Contemplatively, he looked at his hand. He made a fist, opened it slowly, feeling each finger move, then made a fist again. Power. So much power, so much that it was almost scary. He was almost one of a kind, his aunt had told him, unlike anything she had ever seen. Why? How? Why was he this much stronger?

Well, wondering why did him no good. He'd find his answers in due time. Till then, the most important thing was mastering this strength. For family. For responsibility. And just a little for himself.

"Hey, Ichigo!"

A cheery voice interrupted his train of thought, and Ichigo looked up to see Orihime walking up to him, carrying a bottle of water.

"Orihime?" He said. "You're here too?"

"I brought you something to drink," she said, and held out the bottle. Not one to question water after a heavy workout, Ichigo took the bottle and drank greedily from it.

"I watched you train," Orihime explained, as he took swig after swig of water. "I hope you don't mind…"

"Nnnhnn," Ichigo said, holding up one finger. Finally having drunk half the bottle, he took a long, satisfied breath, and looked up at her. After a pause, he said,

"Uhm, no problem I guess. It's not like this is a big secret or anything."

"It's just so… cool," Orihime said, sounding a little like a seven-year-old who had just seen her first dinosaur skeleton. "Erza is… so strong, so fast, a real shinigami. And you're keeping up with her, too!"

"More like getting my ass kicked," Ichigo muttered, and took another sip of water. "I'm learning all right, it's just that it hurts. Didn't think anything could hurt worse than math, but my aunt takes the cake."

Orihime giggled. "You're making jokes. You can't be in that bad a shape."

"Or maybe it's just how I mask my cold, dead inside," Ichigo snorted. "Hiding the pain that's eating me alive, and all that."

Orihime laughed this time. "You'd need pale white makeup and black hair dye to make me believe that. Come to think of it, that would make for a great addition to your superhero costume. You already wear all black, and then you'd look like a real reaper…" She had that tone on her that she always had when she was drifting off into imagination.

"It's not a superhero costume," Ichigo said, and groaned as he stood up. "It's a shihakusho. A uniform."

"You're right. You really need a cape," Orihime said, nodding as if it were obvious. "You could be the Ginger Reaper, stalking the night in pursuit of great justice and protecting the innocent!"

"That is a horrible nickname," Ichigo protested. "It'd be something way cooler, like…"

"The Flaming I?" Orihime suggested cheerily. "Because of your hair, and how your name begins with an I. Or maybe the Bat-Reaper? Or the Giant Sword? The Atomic Nuke?"

"No, no, no, and that last one doesn't even have anything to do with my powers," Ichigo grunted. "Maybe it'd be-"

"Hey, Ichigo!" He was interrupted by Erza, who was walking up to him quickly. "You can socialize later. We got work to do."

"Hey, I thought training was done!" Ichigo protested. "You slave-driver!"

"Hollow attack," Erza said simply, in that hard, direct tone. "Ready up. You're about to get your first proper real life experience."

"Oh, man…" Ichigo mumbled, and went to retrieve his sword from the ground.

"Hollows don't care about your schedule." Erza said. "Go on, hurry, hurry."

"Can I come?" Orihime asked.

"No," Erza said sternly. Seeing the look on Orihime's face, her tone softened somewhat. "It could be dangerous. Maybe if you learn some powers of your own."

"Well, I'm good," Ichigo grumbled, sword leaned over his shoulder. "Where's this hollow?"

* * *

The two of them exited the shop's basement, to find Rukia waiting for them on the outside. She looked less than pleased, as had been her expression for most of these two weeks, although Ichigo was hesitant to judge her. He had no idea what sort of grudge there was between her and Erza, aside from what he'd been told, and for all he knew she could have some point. Besides, losing your powers and being dependent on somebody else couldn't be too fun.

"I see you got the alarm too," she said curtly.

"Correct," Erza said neutrally. "We are heading out now."

"You wanna come?" Ichigo blurted out. It seemed only right, given that he was borrowing her powers.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Rukia said. "Two weeks of training isn't a lot."

"Well, your idea in the first place was doing this exact thing only with no training," Erza said. "So… you can hop onto Ichigo's back, or you can stand here arguing about it."

"…don't think I trust you," Rukia said grudgingly to Erza, as she climbed onto Ichigo's back.

"Actions speak louder than words," Erza said, and shrugged. "You'll see. Come on, Ichigo, and don't fall behind."

Instantly she sped off, Ichigo just barely matching her pace. He suspected that she could move much faster, but decided to focus on breathing and running rather than beating himself up. Following Erza and her senses, they were led to a back alley a mile or two away. As they got closer, Ichigo could feel it too, the malignant, thick presence of a hollow, like a foul-smelling syrup in the air. He was still an amateur at sensing reiatsu, but even so it was hard to miss. It was like a stench, like a rotting carcass on the roadside…

The trio landed on a rooftop, just above the monster. Rukia hopped off his back, and Ichigo's first instinct was to jump down, sword out, and confront it. However, his second thought held him back, a thought of his training- don't rush in. Look first.

So he looked, and saw Erza nod approvingly. From the rooftop, he looked down and saw it. It was ugly, as they all seemed. There were black markings around its mouth, like some perverse kind of lipstick, and its head was long and almost rectangular, and there was a coat of fur around its neck. It had a mostly humanoid shape, and most curiously, it was towering over a teenager. Who was holding what looked like a telephone pole.

"That's extraordinary," Rukia said, almost gasping. "A human?" She watched as the young man swung the pole like a gigantic club, somehow driving the beast back a step.

"He has power," Erza mumbled. "Real power. Spiritual energy."

"I think I know him," Ichigo mumbled. "Yasutora Chad. He transferred over here a couple of months ago, came from Mexico of all places. Pretty good guy, actually."

"Well, he can't keep this up," Erza said. "Ichigo, you've identified the threat, and you've got the drop on him. Go."

"Yes, sensei," Ichigo said firmly, holding his sword out.

The monster roared and finally swatted aside the telephone pole, ripping it out of Chad's hands. Defiantly, the boy stood his ground, fists balled, and as Ichigo dropped down from the rooftop he was reminded of himself, just a couple of weeks ago, standing up to something he couldn't beat- only he had been scared shitless. Chad had guts, you had to give it to him.

Just as the hollow surged forward, arm raised to smash the young Mexican, Ichigo landed between them, catching the monster's arm with his blade. He could feel the asphalt crack under his feet, and felt the rush of power as his reiatsu began to blaze, his power fully activating. The monster pushed with a tremendous force, and Ichigo flexed his muscles, pushing back. It was strong, but he was stronger. It was nothing, nothing at all, compared to his aunt.

"What the hell is this?" The hollow snarled. "Shinigami? Out of my way, scum!"

"Pot, kettle, black," Ichigo grunted, and pushed the hollow back, one steps, two steps. Partly to get the monster away from Chad, and partly because he enjoyed it, the feeling of strength as he began to overpower it.

"Stop lollygagging, Ichigo!" Erza shouted from the rooftop. "Finish it quickly- don't drag it out!"

"Yes, sensei!" Ichigo shouted, not willing to brave Erza's anger. He dodged under a vicious swipe from the hollow's free arm, and cut it across the chest. The monster staggered back a few steps, and roared with anger. Furiously, it brought both its arms high, and brought them both down to crush him. Quickly, Ichigo thought of a plan- he could dodge, take a step back, but…

The arms came down, and Ichigo blocked it, putting one hand far up on the dull side of his blade. He felt the strain, felt the ground under his feet protest as it nearly cracked. It was hard, but he only needed a second. Quickly, he lashed out with one foot, connecting with the forwardly placed knee of the monster. It cried out, surprised, and sunk to one knee. Having lost its balance, its arms slid off Ichigo's blade, and caught the ground to recover. For just an instance it was down, on the ground, its larger frame completely pointless. Quickly Ichigo raised his sword, and brought it down. Just once, across the mask…

But at the last second, the hollow twisted to the side. Ichigo's blade glanced off the mask, and cut into the monster's shoulder, straight through it, leaving a vicious flesh wound. Bleeding, but far from done, the hollow got to its feet and let out a shriek.

"You filthy little rat bastard…" It snarled. "You're not worth risking my hide for. Bye, shinigami!" It raised its arms, and a couple of bat-like wings extended from them. Instantly the beast flapped them, and took flight.

"No you don't!" Ichigo shouted, and jumped forward, up on high. His blade almost hit home, scratching the monster's underbelly, but it was not enough. As Ichigo landed he felt angry, frustrated- but before he could so much as swear, Erza had moved. In an instant, or so it seemed, she had jumped from her rooftop and to the ground, and as she landed so did the hollow, its wings clipped. It was amazing just how quickly she had done it, and Ichigo stared at her in awe.

"What are you looking at?" She said sternly. "Finish it. Now!"

"Y-yes, sensei!" Ichigo said, and charged forward, holding his blade low.

"There's two of you?" The hollow shrieked, raising its arms in defense. "That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair!" Ichigo shouted as he brought his sword down, viciously striking the hollow again and again. It was guarding itself- just barely- with its thick, strong arms, but it was on the defensive now. Methodically, remembering his training, Ichigo wailed on the monster with hard, evenly paced strikes, looking for any opening, for any counterattack. It couldn't keep this up for too long; chunks of flesh and bone were beginning to litter the street.

"Enough! Enough!" The hollow snarled, and jumped back a good twenty yards. "You will rue the day you crossed me, shinigami!"

"Your first instinct was to run away," Ichigo said, making ready to charge again, "So I'm not exactly afraid."

"You'll see!" The hollow snarled, its shriek sounding desperate. Opening its mouth wide, suddenly something flung from its mouth. Ichigo couldn't see what, until it hit his sword. It looked like a slug, or a leech, emitting a foul smell. It looked revolting.

"What-" Ichigo began, but was cut short. It exploded, the shockwave sending him reeling back.

"See? See?" The hollow shrieked, its desperation turning into gleeful superiority. "My living bombs will be your end, you pretender!"

It opened its mouth again, and a veritable shower of little leech-slugs flew out, toward Ichigo. He had to move, now, but they were too quick-

Then he saw her move. He could just barely follow her movements, graceful, elegant, completely experienced and so far above anything he could even imagine. In the course of one second, Erza was a blur of motion as he saw her cut one, two, three, four, a dozen times, catching each bomb mid-air. They fell limp to the ground, one or two exploding half-heartedly.

"Finish it." She demanded, not even turning around to look at him.

Ichigo didn't even reply. He simply sprang forward, as fast as he could, sword held high. The monster squealed, snarled, took a few fearful steps backward as if unsure whether to run and fight, and Ichigo came down on it. The beast feebly tried to guard itself, but Ichigo's sword bit deep, slicing clean through its left forearm. The monster screamed, and Ichigo mercilessly continued, jumping up to face it. His sword was held high, and came down with all the strength he could muster, cracking its white skull-mask open like it were an egg. It screamed, roared one last time, as it staggered back while Ichigo landed.

Desperately, the hollow clawed at its broken face, and Ichigo could see as much as feel its energies unravelling. It was not evaporating though, not like the ones he had seen before.

"Well done," Erza said, and walked up next to him. "You made a lot of mistakes, but we'll talk about those later."

"Uh huh," Ichigo said. He felt like protesting, but knew better. 'Well done' was good enough. "Do they uh, usually do that?" He said, pointing at the thrashing hollow.

"No," Erza said. "Look carefully for what comes next. Remember it."

The hollow's power was stripped away, evaporating into the air, and behind it he could see a man, an ugly-looking, balding person. Then there was a haze in the air, and suddenly the shape of a gate manifested in the air, half again as high as a house. Taking form, the gates were fire and rock, perpetually aflame. The man looked at them with terror in his eyes as they opened, quite ominously. Ichigo could see only darkness and fire inside, stretching into a far distance. Quickly, from inside, a giant arm reached out, carrying an enormous blade- or a knife, for its size- made purely out of flame. The man desperately tried to run, but as if chasing down an insect, the hand lunged forward, pinning the man through the chest. He screamed as, with deliberate slowness, the arm began to pull him inside the gates. Just a minute later, the gates had closed, disappearing as if they had never been there in the first place.

"What… what the hell was that?" Ichigo murmured, breathing heavily.

"We all go to the soul society when we die," Erza said gravely, "except for the truly wicked. The murderers, the rapists, the swindling thieves. The scum who spread suffering in their life… are dragged into hell when they die. This man was evil, and did evil in life. Now he paid the price."

"There is a hell?" Ichigo said incredulously. "I mean… of course there is a hell. Why wouldn't there be. Holy shit…"

"Shit has nothing to do with it." Erza said. "There is an afterlife, and while it is no paradise, there is still some form of justice. Wickedness is punished."

"Oh… okay," Ichigo said, nodding. "So much for Nietzsche, huh?"

"Let's go." Erza said simply.

Rukia watched from above, with something like awe. Even at this minimal power she had, she could sense Ichigo's strength. It thrummed, coming out in strong, even pulses like a heartbeat. It was positively enormous for what was supposed to be a human being's, bigger than her own. It was absurd. Erza was a good teacher, but there was no way he would gain that much strength so quickly. Just what sort of an anomaly was he? It was more than any recruit she had ever seen. More, even, than most ranked officers. It was easily on part with any shinigami of a single digit seat.

His form, though somewhat refined by training, was rough, and he had poor control of his movements, but even with that factored in he fought like a natural. Just two weeks with Erza had given him this, a sense of not just basic swordsmanship, but the philosophy behind it. In just two weeks he had come farther than most academy students did in three years, and she could barely even imagine where he'd be with years of training. With Erza watching over him… he'd go far.

Erza herself was almost impossible to read, particularly with Rukia's powers being so limited. Her control was excellent, and it did seem like she had gotten stronger since she had run. But just how much?

She would have to report her, Rukia knew. When she got her powers back, when she returned, it would be her duty, her obligation, to report the whereabouts of this traitor. There was no choice in the matters. Undoubtedly, Erza knew this too. She would run or she would fight, but in the end there was no way she could prevail, not against all the captains of the Gotei. Not against the likes of her nii-sama.

And for some reason, that made her feel guilty.

It really shouldn't. Why should it? Erza was a traitor. The evidence had been clear. She had done nothing to exonerate herself, giving half-hearted, vague excuses that could not be confirmed, that sounded every bit like the lies of a defector suffering from a guilty conscience. Not my fault, never my fault, always somebody else, the mantra of a coward who gave up her principles.

But when she looked at Erza, she didn't see a coward. She saw the same warm, loving individual she had known in the Soul Society. Either Erza was the most devious, cunning deceiver known to shinigami history, or she had genuinely been a good person all along- misguided and treasonous, but well intentioned and genuine. The way she looked at Ichigo, like a little brother, that harsh tone she kept because she cared if you did well or not… she was still the same. That wasn't a lie. Could it be?

But no- that was inconsequential. Justice did not care if you were a good person or not. A crime was a crime, and crime had to be punished whether the criminal was a saint or a demon. This… was a mess. A confusing mess.

"Hey Rukia, you coming?"

It was Ichigo, having jumped up the roof along with Erza, interrupting her troubled ponderings.

"…yes." Rukia said, carefully keeping her tone neutral.

"Well, let's go then," Ichigo said. "Come on, get on my back."

Rukia nodded, and obliged. This was… a strange place to be, and for some reason she found she did not actually look forward to getting her powers back.

* * *

The next day, after training was done, Erza noticed Tatsuki standing by the sidelines, having watched them intently. Both she and Orihime had taken to doing that every now and then, seeming interested. In Orihime's case it could be just her typical fascination with all things 'cool', or perhaps something else altogether, but Tatsuki… there was a look in her face, Erza saw, one that seemed familiar to her. She wanted something, even if she was not prepared to say it.

"Well then," Erza said, marching up to her. "Enjoy the training?"

"It's um, pretty crazy," Tatsuki said evasively. "The stuff you can do…"

"Out with it." Erza said bluntly. "You stood up to say something, so say it."

"Oh." Tatsuki mumbled, a bit taken aback. "Well. Thing is, er…"

"Take a breath if you need to, but don't waste my time." Erza said. She was being harsh, she knew, but sometimes people needed a push.

"Could I learn to do that?" Tatsuki said.

"What exactly?" Erza said. She was fairly sure she knew, but it was better to be precise.

"Jumping all over the place with swords?" Tatsuki said. "It's just… I've seen Ichigo do it, and…"

"You don't like being second best." Erza stated. A bit of competitive spirit was good; it motivated people.

"He could never beat me at karate till he hit puberty." Tatsuki said. "I'm not gonna make it about some childish I-need-to-beat-him rivalry, but… I don't want to need to lean on him for protection, all right? There's all these monsters out there, and I don't want no knight in shining armour to have to come and rescue me each time."

Erza nodded.

"A good and admirable attitude. To be your own, to have the strength to look out for yourself. That is a natural desire."

"Yeah." Tatsuki said, and nodded nervously. "So… is it possible to…?"

"Become a shinigami?" Erza said ponderously. "I don't know. It is possible in theory, but it requires more energy than most humans have."

"I have some, right?" Tatsuki said eagerly. "Hanging around Ichigo all the time, and such. I heard somebody say it rubs off."

"You do, and it does," Erza conceded, wondering who this 'somebody' was. "It's… complicated, though. It requires not just power, but a specific method. I do not know how that would happen. I am not a scientist or a learned person, only a soldier."

"Oh." Tatsuki said disappointedly.

"You and Orihime both definitely have potential," Erza said firmly. "Your power is far above that of the typical human. Can I make you a shinigami? No. However, there are other paths to power. There are humans who learn to manifest it themselves. Special abilities some would call 'magic' if they did not know better. Such individuals exist. If cultivated, your power could perhaps do that. You definitely have what it takes. But how to make it happen… that, I do not know."

"Okay then," Tatsuki said, nodding. "So… do you know somebody who knows?"

"…I do," Erza said, and resisted the urge to grimace. That shifty little bucket-hat would definitely know a thing or two, and likely be all too happy to help.

"Then Orihime and I can learn to defend ourselves." Tatsuki said.

"Well, um," Erza said, "do we have to drag Orihime into this?"

Orihime was kind, sweet and innocent, and Erza really had to wonder if she was suited for this. Suddenly, she wondered if this was how Masaki had felt.

"Oh, come on," Tatsuki said, putting her hands to her sides, "don't tell me you want her to stay on the sidelines."

"It's dangerous work," Erza said stubbornly. "I have seen the worst of it, and believe me, it's not for everyone."

"Funny," said Ichigo, walking up from behind, looking sweaty as usual, "I remember somebody telling my mom I was better off knowing how to defend myself, rather than being, you know, walking hollow bait."

"I don't think I ever said that specifically," Erza said defensively, knowing he had a point.

"You know, auntie, nobody likes a hypocrite," Ichigo said with a grin.

"I'll show you hypocrisy," Erza growled quietly, balling a fist.

"Look, she deserves the same chance as I do," Tatsuki said diplomatically. "And if I do find a way, I'll teach her myself if you won't."

Erza grunted. "Fine. If you two insist on ganging up on me like this, if you two should both find a way to develop powers of your own, I'll help. But I'm not helping you get there!"

"Because you can't," Ichigo said smugly.

"…drop down and give me two hundred, right now," Erza growled.

"Oh, come on!" Ichigo protested. "I was just kidding-"

"Now!" Erza said firmly. Ichigo sighed, and obeyed.

"It's a deal, then," Tatsuki said with a grin, and for a moment, Erza wished grins were illegal.

* * *

Life was work, studies and training for Momo, but even so she sometimes found the time to relax. Erza had been dedicated but she had still found the time, so Momo didn't see why she shouldn't do the same. At the moment it was a day off, and one of those rare times when she was out with Rangiku simply to enjoy themselves. They had gone to a bath house, gotten themselves pampered with manicures and massages; they had gone to eat lunch together, and had finally ended up having drinks at a bar that specialized in serving officers. Being vice-captains, their faces were well known, and the barkeep made sure to keep their glasses filled.

"…and I told him, he better shape up because he's a hundred years too early to ask me out," Rangiku said and laughed. "Honestly, where would I find the time for a boyfriend, with the captain hounding me day and night?"

She was more than a little drunk, although not out of it. Momo smiled solemnly. This sort of extravaganza was not her style, not really, which was one reason she did not often do it. Even so, it reminded her of old times, when they had all been together- Erza, Rangiku, Isane, Nemu, Nozomi…

"What are you looking so sad for?" Rangiku said, downing another cherry flavoured saké like it were a glass of water. "I take you out for a night out, when you got your head in a book all the time, and you look this down?"

"Oh, no," Momo said quietly, her voice barely reaching over the buzz of the bar's patrons. "I'm glad, actually. In a melancholic way."

"That makes no freaking sense," Rangiku said, raising her hand for a refill of drinks. "But if you say so."

"I just… remembered something." Momo said cautiously. "But I know you don't like me talking about that stuff, so…"

"It's Erza, isn't it?" Rangiku said. Momo had soon learned that she was quite alone in her belief that Erza was in the right, and none of her friends appreciated it- and from their perspective, Momo could understand. No hard evidence, nothing, just one woman being too stubbornly dedicated… they were wrong, but there was no point in discussing it.

"We could just talk about something else…" Momo suggested.

"No, no, it's fine," Rangiku said dismissively, just a hint of despondency in her tone. "Remembering the good old days, right?"

Momo just nodded.

"I don't blame you," Rangiku said, and shrugged. "She was good company. Hell, I even miss her sometimes. But at the end of the day… you have to face the facts. You have to move on, Momo. You deserve better than her."

"Don't you think it's strange, though?" Momo said, emboldened by Rangiku's accepting words. "First Captain Shiba goes missing in Karakura. Literally days later, Erza goes away too."

"Sweetheart, I say this as a friend who wants the best for you," Rangiku said, taking another drink, "you're grasping at straws."

"I'm not saying that has to mean anything," Momo insisted, "but… I think they closed the investigation too quickly."

"Karakura's an odd place, what can I say?" Rangiku said dismissively.

"Well… I've looked into it," Momo said.

"Well, colour me surprised," Rangiku said, and rolled her eyes.

"The more I think about it, the more I look back, the more I think she was unhappy underneath it all." Momo said firmly. "She joined here to help people. She told me. She even sent money out to her home village. But for all that, what if she couldn't do enough?"

"Honey, she was guilty," Rangiku said firmly. "That's a done deal. Sorry."

"Maybe she was." Momo admitted. "Who knows? But I don't think she was this evil terrorist."

"Well, you admitting she was guilty is progress of a kind," Rangiku said soberly- which was ironic, given her semi-intoxicated state. "Do I think she was a bad person? I don't know. But she'd have to be the most cunning liar I ever saw. Maybe she was. Maybe she wasn't. But either way, you can't keep living in the past like this."

"I think there was more to it," Momo said stubbornly. "Something she never told us. You know how bad it can be out there in the Rukon. We both come from there, don't we?"

"…that is true," Rangiku said. "But that doesn't mean I can go breaking the law. She fought the law, and the law won. It always does."

"Maybe she thought it was all wrong. Maybe she wanted to do more."

"And the answer to that is treason?" Rangiku said, and her tone had sharpened a little. "Wanting to save the world is no good if it gets you committing crime, Momo. This is a big world and there's not a lot we can do. If she wanted to make a difference she should have started a charity, not do… that."

Something fierce rose in Momo's chest, partly brought out by the liquor, but she stopped herself from saying something angry.

"…I know how it looks," she said meekly, after a short pause. "And all I'm saying is I think there's more to it than we're seeing. Like, how did she escape? Wasn't it a bit crazy how we suddenly found all that evidence all at once? Cases usually take weeks to assess, but this was done in less than two days- evidence, judgment, imprisonment. It's as if somebody wanted her gone."

"Momo, I'm your friend," Rangiku said, taking a sip from her drink, "but I can't say I think this makes sense. I'm too drunk to get into an argument, and I don't want to end this night like that. So let it go, yes? I know I started it, technically, and now I'd like to end it."

"…sure," Momo said quietly, and began to slowly down her drink.

"Hey, we all got our quirks, and that's fine." Rangiku said, and shrugged. "Renji's carrying a grudge against basically everything, Shuhei practically worships his high-and-mighty captain, I'm pretty sure Isane is a lesbian, and me, I like to slack off and get drunk. We're all imperfect in some ways. Don't mean we can't be good friends."

"You're right," Momo said, feeling oddly comforted- although a little agitated still.

* * *

It was night, and Erza was training in the basement, alone. Sometimes, running through basic exercises was just the best thing to do to clear your mind. Orihime getting involved, being responsible for not just Ichigo, the looming threat of being found out by the Gotei… she had a lot on her mind, enough that an extra training session was just the thing. Running through the motions over and over- thrust, stab, swing, thrust, stab, swing- she lost herself in the movements, focusing solely on perfecting herself. It was a surprise when she sensed Rukia, having walked up on her, standing maybe twenty yards away. Her reiatsu was quite small, but even so it was irksome to have been so lost in thought that somebody could sneak up on her so easily.

She kept swinging, moving herself around, and for a few minutes Rukia just stood there in silence. Erza wanted to turn around and tell her something, anything, in that typical harsh tone- but she couldn't. Deep down, despite it making little sense, there was that guilt. The guilt of having had to run away from all of her friends, to leave them all behind…

There had been no choice. Yet, telling her conscience that did nothing.

"All right," Erza said, stopping at last, sheathing her sword and turning to face Rukia, "did you want something?"

"Why?" Rukia said. Her tone was neutral, mild even, a far cry from the anger she had carried the first time they had re-united. Erza felt taken aback, and stared at her blankly, opening her mouth, then closing it again. Rukia took a few steps closer.

"Why-why." Erza mumbled. "You mean why I left. Of course you do. What else would you mean?"

"Why?" Rukia repeated.

"I told you already," Erza mumbled. "I explained it all. I don't want to repeat myself."

"No," Rukia said, shaking her head as she slowly walked closer, "no, you didn't tell me anything. Not anything real. It was all… vague."

"Look…" Erza said, trailing off. She wasn't sure what to say.

"Maybe I want to believe you are innocent," Rukia said. "It's not likely, but maybe I do. What if I did? But I can't. Not like this."

"Let me tell you something," Erza said fierily, "every day, every hour, every minute, millions of souls suffer for no reason out in the soul society, and we don't lift a finger to help them. Every day people get raped, murdered, robbed, live their lives at the whim of tyrants, asking why there is no help. Some stopped asking for help altogether because there's no hope. That is the truth, Rukia, that's the injustice of the afterlife and you know it!"

She paused to take a breath, every bit of anger and outrage coming back to her.

"I used to believe in something!" She continued. "I used to believe that serving the Gotei meant serving the common good! I used to think being a shinigami made me a good person! I believed, but I was wrong!"

"You're not answering my question." Rukia said calmly. There was something devastating about how she said it, so matter-of-factly pointing out the truth.

"You're right," Erza said. She took a deep breath, and looked Rukia in the eye. "I'm not. So here it is, then: I am a traitor. I have betrayed the Gotei Thirteen, and I am not sorry I did. I am very sorry I had to leave you all behind, but turning my back on the Gotei? I would do it again."

"So you finally admit it." Rukia said flatly. "No nonsense about conspiracies, or vague excuses. You're a traitor."

"There's a lot more to it still," Erza said, "but yes. I confess. Are you happy?"

"Why?" Rukia repeated.

"Injustice." Erza said firmly. "I remember being alive. I remember being very powerful, and doing right by my family. I was raised to do what's right, by a very large family. They loved me, and I loved them. I came into the afterlife with principles, Rukia. With beliefs. If you see somebody being bullied, you stop the bully. If you see somebody who needs help, you help them. When they first drafted me, they threatened me into accepting. But even then, I grew to believe I could make a difference. I believed the Gotei was a force for good."

"It is a force for good!" Rukia exclaimed. "Without us, the balance between worlds would collapse!"

"It's not enough," Erza said, shaking her head. "And for such a supposedly righteous place, they seem awfully corrupt. Do you know that one time I went to trial? Because I will remind you- I was put on trial because a petty-minded, rich man was insulted that I stopped him from being a bully. For that, I faced a lifetime in prison, and I only won because I had influential friends. There is no justice in the Gotei, only the illusion of justice. What it is, is… control. Order. But not justice."

"The nobility does…" Rukia said.

"Does what?" Erza said firmly. "Provide us with money? Live privileged lives because their fathers were rich and important? Because tradition dictates it should be so? The nobility corrupts us. But even without them, we are corrupt. Our so-called wise leaders approve brutal, psychotic murderers like Kenpachi, or flat-out monsters like Kurotsuchi Mayuri. Look at these people, our supposed finest soldiers, and tell me that is a well-adjusted society."

"I am a Kuchiki," Rukia said firmly. "Are you telling me my family has no place there?"

"They should have the same place as anybody else," Erza said. "We are led by corrupt men and women who obey the word of even more corrupt people, supposedly wise, all to keep this ridiculous status quo going while we ignore those who need our help. That is the Gotei Thirteen, Rukia, and I could not stay there and think of myself as a good person."

"You were selfish, then," Rukia said. "There is a bigger picture. All of that, all that you mentioned, is insignificant compared to our task, because without us there is no world left to save."

"They have the power to help, and do nothing," Erza shot back. "If you walk past a man hanging off a cliff and do nothing, even turn to look the other way because his problem is an inconvenience to you, are you really a good person? When you can help, and don't?"

Rukia stared at her quietly.

"I don't blame you," Erza continued. "You did not choose for things to be this way. Changing it is… hard. But that is why I left. I could not stand this… blindness, this corruption, not while being true to myself."

"I can't keep this secret, you know," Rukia said, her voice having gone harsh. "I have to report when I get back."

"You'll do what you think is right," Erza said, and nodded. There was a sinking feeling in her gut; she'd have to run again, run away from all these people she cared about.

"And you won't kill me to keep me quiet?" Rukia asked.

"I have killed before, when I had to," Erza said. "But I am not a murderer. That is not who I am. You can believe whatever you want of me, but I will not kill somebody who cannot fight back, much less somebody who is my friend. Or well, was."

Rukia shook her head. "I don't know what to believe when I look at you…" She said quietly.

"I am Erza Scarlet." Erza said simply. "I do my best to do the right thing. Sometimes that difficult, but I still try."

"Good night, Erza," Rukia said, and turned around. She began to walk out, several emotions burning inside her- anger, guilt, sadness, mixed in a way they should not be. Traitor! A self-admitted traitor! And still… still, she felt a hesitance she should not. What would her brother think?

* * *

Elsewhere, in the bleak, palely lit world of Hueco Mundo, Aizen was busying himself in a laboratory. He made a point to come here every now and then, his zanpakutou maintaining the perfect illusion that he had never left. It was one of the few places he felt at home, unravelling the secrets of the universe, secrets nobody else knew.

Such as his hollow research. Although a secondary priority in his schemes, it was still decades ahead that of the twelfth division's. They would love to sink their grubby little teeth into his data on hybrids, he was sure, especially since such research was banned in the Gotei. "Abomination", it was called. Not that the petty little half-wit scientists wouldn't investigate it if they were allowed- hypocrites that they were, they would gladly take any data on the subject regardless of its origin.

Right now, he was reviewing the latest batch of raw data on his most successful project so far: Kurosaki Ichigo. His agents had failed to retrieve it, and they had both been lucky to die in the attempt. Still, it was hardly an obstacle- placing probes in Karakura, particularly around the young man's home and school, had been child's play. And as of late, near a seemingly inconspicuous candy store. He would like to have full access to what happened inside it, but it was not worth revealing himself to that little fly Urahara- not for a secondary priority project. As small-minded and lacking in resources as that man was, he was intelligent and crafty.

It was no matter. The second-hand inference from the still settling reiatsu patterns told him more than enough. Kurosaki Ichigo had finally bloomed, and rapidly at that. The experimental hollow he had once thought wasted- a shame for such a marvelously crafted specimen, free of the natural flaws the typical hollow had- had actually bonded with Shiba Isshin. In an unexpected turn of events, its energies had clashed with the shinigami captain's, causing both energy sources to drain. It had been designed to bond parasitically with a shinigami, using the shinigami's power as the source for a drastically more powerful transformation- a hybrid where the hollow was dominant, yet had the knowledge and power of a shinigami. Clearly, a captain's energy had been much too strong for that…

But unexpectedly, the hollow had survived. Somehow, it had bonded with the now drained Shiba, and passed over to his son… probably as early as in the womb. Perfectly bonded to an already powerful source of reiatsu from before birth, it had become a symbiotic relationship, creating a near perfect hybrid in the process. It was a fascinating prospect. The subject was already remarkably strong, with exceptional potential.

And now it was being trained by Erza Scarlet. Although inadvertently, he had created something of a super-soldier. It was a triumph of his most intelligent designs, spiritual bio-architecture on a level beyond anything anybody else had ever accomplished. Now under the tutelage of an experienced master- although far from the best- he would grow rapidly.

As for Erza herself, she was just barely worth a thought. She had escaped, somehow, and survived among these petty humans. She had gained some level of skill and power since, although less than she would have among other shinigami similar to her in strength. He had kept an eye on her, naturally, because he was not one to ignore loose ends- but in the end, both she and Ichigo were inconsequential. Like everybody else, they were in the palm of his hands. His plans were coming along exactly as he had prepared them, and soon it would be time. Kuchiki Rukia… Urahara Kisuke was clever, but not nearly as clever as he thought. In a little while- not quite yet- the alarm would go out and she would be brought back. Till then, he would allow her, and the people around her, the illusion of happiness.

He was not without mercy, after all.

* * *

**Well, thats it for this chapter. I know not much really happened in it, but it does help build up to some things coming up down the line. You'll all enjoy them im sure.**

**I do want to make mention of one thing though, yes, I _WILL_ do something with Hell. No, not just the 4th movie, Im planning on a fully fledged arc. When will it happen? How strong will the enemy's be? Not telling.**

**Fairy tail has been doing pretty well recently in the manga if you ask me. Sad to see the anime end once again, but im sure we will see it again.**

**As for Bleach.**

**OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!**

**KENPACHI'S BANKAI!? _BANKAI!?_ YES FUCKING PLEASE! LIKE, ALL OF THE YES! _ALL OF IT. ALL OF IT!_**

**Also, I am TOTALLY fine with the idea of Yachiru Being Kenpachi's zanpaktou spirit. Now, knowing how GreatKingrat88 dosnt like ALOT of things going on in the current arc, im going to probably have to really debate this and see if it can be done in this story.**

**Do I WANT it to be? HELL YES! Will it? Im afraid only time will tell.**

**That said, you cant tell me your not excited to see what the hell his bankai could be. We've all WANTED to know what it is, we just thought we would only be lucky enough to just see Shikai...Nope. **

**BANKAI ALL THE WAY BITCHES!**

**Anyways, I do hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. It would be very appericated if you left us a review telling us what you liked and didnt like about the chapter.**

**Have a good one my friends.**


	28. Shopkeeper Fishing with a Strawberry

**Oh now here's a chapter im sure you'll all enjoy. Its a point in the story that all of you long time Bleach fans now of. While not nearly as significant as its cannon counterpart, it is still important, and I felt it was necessary to deal with it. **

**I do however want to thank each and every person who has left a review for us so far. We're almost at 400 review's and we cant express our thanks enough. Please continue to review though, as it helps us know whenever we are doing a good job or not.**

**Thank you once again Greatkingrat88****.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

Life was funny. It was a line of thought, so overwhelmingly understated, that had often come to Ichigo as of late. While amazing at first, the extraordinary had started to become the expected. One week you were a normal teenager, and the next you were fighting evil-minded, soul-eating monsters whilst transformed into a black-robed spiritual knight. And that had only been page one. Then had come your family being knee-deep in the whole business, your aunt eating up all your free time with grueling training, the existence of not only an afterlife but hell itself. Magic, enchanted weapons, spirits and monsters…  
'Funny' was completely inadequate. But at this point the extreme was starting to become mundane, and Ichigo was suspecting, as he pondered this during a lunch break at school, that at his young age he was becoming jaded. He was, he suspected, probably unique. By all he had heard, teenagers did not typically receive the powers of a shinigami, let alone develop this kind of strength.

But the thing about being unique was that he didn't really _feel_ special. He just did his best, and apparently that was enough. He would have expected a bit more entitlement to go into this, but somehow, his life felt oddly normal. It helped that his mother, father and aunt were all there; it would have seemed far more dramatic without them.  
It was not without some marked changes, of course. He felt tired and worn, all day, and each night he would fall into his bed like a tree cut down by a woodsman's axe. After school was training, and the same went for weekends. When he did not train, Erza guided him on hollow hunts, instructing him carefully each time, yet having him do all the heavy work. It was somewhat distressing to realize that he thought of the hunts as a relief; hollows were far less demanding, and far less dangerous, than his auntie on the war path. This was his life now, and he was lucky to get just the one day off on any given week.

It was yielding results, of course. Tired though he felt, he was feeling stronger. Not just physically, but mentally as well. He was sharper of mind, more focused, and he was learning to control his body. It was deeply surprising to realize, really realize, how much further it could go compared to how far he had _thought_ it could. Your body lied to you, Erza had taught him; it wanted you to give up long before you were done. It was an instinct, and you had to be greater and stronger than your instincts. His human body was still weak, comparatively speaking, but his spiritual body could crush rocks, walk on air, and leap enormous distances in a single bound. It was an amazing feeling. That was the crux of it- as tired as he was, as much as his social life was suffering, as demanding as Erza was, he liked it. He liked the rush of power. He liked hunting the hollows. He liked being strong and using that strength for something. It was for the sake of others, Erza insisted, and it was true. But being honest with himself, Ichigo could not honestly say it was not for himself, too.  
His mother had adapted surprisingly well. After a few days of quiet sulking, she had thrown herself into it fully. Shinigami in training he might be, but she absolutely refused for him to fall behind on school work, and tutored him after school to make sure his grades wouldn't take a dip. Not one to deny his mother, Ichigo obliged her. He had a life outside of this too… even if it did not feel like it right now.

"Heeeeey, Ichi-gooo!" It was the overly cheery, somewhat grating voice of his friend Keigo, ringing over the school yard like the cry of a mentally challenged duck. Annoying though he was sometimes- a lot of the time- they were still friends, and it made Ichigo feel guilty, because he knew what was coming.  
"So-ooo," Keigo said casually, walking over to Ichigo with what he probably thought was a confident swagger, "Mizuiro and me are gonna hit up a real cool party this weekend. There's gonna be beer, lots of cute girls, and literally everyone who is cool is coming. So you know what that means- no blowing us off, or you're _totally_ uncool!"

The "cool party" was probably going to be a bunch of awkward teenagers posturing like awkward teenagers did, for a full evening, while drinking small quantities of smuggled-in beer, but it was also likely to be what people would talk about for the next week or so, because chasing social status in school meant nothing if not low standards. He wouldn't have wanted to go even normally, but he'd already rejected Keigo over a dozen times since this whole… thing had begun. He'd have to do it again.

"Sorry, Keigo," He said dismissively, keeping his voice level. "I got studies to do. Parties are lame, anyhow."  
Technically he wasn't lying. But then again, technically not lying was still deceit, and deceit left a bad taste in his mouth, even though he knew there was good reason for it.

"Traitor!" Keigo cried out dramatically. "Bookworm! Nerd! Four-eyed geeky trekkie! I bring you an invitation to like, _the_ coolest party all year- nay, all_decade-_ and you turn me down? For school work? You are a traitor and a nerd! Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrr-"

Here, Ichigo clamped his hand over Keigo's mouth. His antics were well familiar to him, but there was only so much he was willing to take.

"Okay, first," Ichigo said irritably, "if this party is actually run by cool people, then it wasn't you who got us invited. Mizuiro, right? He's popular with the girls. Secondly, you know I don't care about being 'cool', and those parties are stupid anyway. My mom's been coming down on me about my grades recently, so I gotta study. No choice in the matter. We clear?"

"Mmrffrrr…" Keigo growled, and pried Ichigo's hand off. "But like, we never see each other anymore! You just hang out with that Rukia girl! I mean, we all know that-"

"Imply that I'm involved with her romantically or sexually and I will break your pinky finger." Ichigo said bluntly.

"…I'd never imply that, of _course,_" Keigo said reassuringly- too reassuringly. "But you still hang out with her, and Orihime, and Tatsuki… damn it, you get all these cute girls and you blow us off for that?"

"You're an idiot," Ichigo grumbled. "I told you, I got extra work. Remember how I was sick? I have catching up to do, that's all."

"But Ichigooooo…" Keigo whined.

"Go bother somebody else." Ichigo said heartlessly. There was a strong sense of guilt as he watched Keigo walk away defeated- although there was an exaggeration to his sloping posture that made Ichigo believe that he hoped for him to come after him, and apologize.  
It sucked, it really did. Not that Keigo had been his best friend before this had happened or anything, but he was all right. Now… he was just one of many he couldn't share his life's biggest secret with. His life had now divided people into two categories- those in the know, and those not in the know, and there was an inevitable barrier between him and those in category two. One that required him to lie, to hide who he was…

It was perhaps this grating line of thought that inspired what came next. Walking across the school yard, he could see the bulky, muscular frame of Yasutora Sado, standing a head taller than even the tallest people there. If not for his boyish features, Ichigo- and anyone else for that matter- would have mistaken him for a grown man. With his brown hair and dark skin, he didn't look the least bit Japanese, although Ichigo knew he was.  
He hadn't seen him for over a week, not since that attack Ichigo had saved him from, and he had half wondered when he would confront him about it. Part of him had wondered if he had not seen his face all right, but it had been broad daylight. Well, it would have been confusing- it had been for Ichigo.

"Hello," The boy said, towering over Ichigo. He was a quiet sort, the kind you had to drag the words out of, so if he came to speak first then he likely had thought about it.

"Yo, Chad," Ichigo said. The nickname seemed appropriate, and Sado didn't seem to mind.

"I was wondering what exactly is going on." The half-mexican said directly, his voice quite deep, but perfectly calm.

In a small way, something inside Ichigo snapped. He had seen it. He had the power inside him, and he might be attacked again. The truth was too absurd to believe for any normal person. So why not tell him?

"Well, Chad," Ichigo said casually, almost flippantly, "you know the question about an afterlife, the one that wise men have been pondering about for all human existence? Turns out to not be a matter of faith at all. It exists. Objectively and empirically measurable. Nobody seems sure if there's any kind of deity involved though, so the Dawkinses of the world might still be right, for all I know. There are ghosts, and they go there when they die. Except the ones with regret in their hearts, which turn into hollows- like that big, nasty monster I finished off for you before."

"I… couldn't see it." Chad said. "Only vaguely. Blurred, like a haze on a hot summer day. But since then, I have… begun to see these things. Monsters. Spirits."

"Well, welcome to a whole new world," Ichigo said bluntly. "There's ghosts, hollow monsters, and shinigami to take care of both. The shinigami slay the hollows and help ghosts pass on, and that's about it. They're not actual spirits though, not in a mystical way."

"Are you one of them?"

"Sorta," Ichigo admitted. "It's like a part time gig. My whole family is knee deep in this business. My aunt's training me to be one. Spirits, monsters, soul reapers, it's all real. As for you? You've got energy in you, and plenty of it, so you may well be attacked again. I'm still human, but I'm learning to use this whole new power from Rukia. Got all that?"

Chad nodded. "I see."  
If he disbelieved it, he gave no sign of it.

Ichigo looked at Chad, who seemed completely unperturbed by this news. Ichigo didn't know him too well, on account of not having known him for very long, but in a strange way he supposed they were friends. He had first met him a couple of months ago, tied up with steel cable by a bunch of punks who were about to rearrange his face with a couple of steel pipes. Ichigo had caught the hoodlums off guard. There had been a dozen or so of them, but after he had effortlessly pummeled three of them in a matter of seconds, the rest of them had been too demoralized to really put up a fight. It had got him a few bruises, but in the end he had got Chad out after each and every punk was thoroughly beaten down. Chad had offered a simple thank you, and that had been it. They didn't talk much, because Chad was about as talkative as a rock, and they didn't hang out much, but they were still sort of friends. It was a guy thing, he guessed.

"You're taking this pretty well, you know," Ichigo said, feeling slightly disappointed that he hadn't induced more of a shock. This _was_ a radical change of perspective, after all. Couldn't Chad at least have the decency to, well, raise an eyebrow or something?

The eyebrow remained in its utterly indecent, perfectly normal position, as Chad said,  
"It explains a lot."

"Oh, of course _you_ take it easy," Ichigo grumbled. "Me, I freak out and nearly die, and I'm this- _this_ close to an identity crisis-" he made a gesture with his thumb and index finger, to indicate a very, very small amount, "but to you, it makes sense."

"I noticed things for a long time." Chad said stoically. "Even more after I moved to Karakura. Now that I can see them, they make sense. I am relieved."

"Good grief…" Ichigo said, and sighed.

"I assume Orihime and Tatsuki are well endowed as well?" Chad said innocently.

"Endowed? What?" Ichigo said.

"With power." Chad said. "I noticed that despite the distance you have put as of late, you still act familiar with them. Are they too shinigami?"

"Well, nothing escapes you…" Ichigo said. "Answer's no. They ain't. But they know all about it, and my aunt says they got power, too."

"I see." Chad said, and nodded. "Thank you. This has been an enlightening conversation."

"Not sure if you should be grateful for any of this, but suit yourself," Ichigo said. "Anyway, let's go back- I think lunch is ending soon."

Chad nodded, and together they headed back to class. Somewhere, Ichigo thought he could hear the distant howl of, _Neeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrddd!_

* * *

Later that day, after school had ended, Ichigo made his way to the candy shop, where his aunt would be waiting for another session. It would be a good time to bring up Chad, although he wasn't sure how she'd react to bringing in yet another human into the group. Still, he had to try.  
However, when he opened the door, expecting nothing there except perhaps the shopkeeper or one of his weird assistants, he was met by Erza, who nearly ran him over on her way toward the door. Something urgent had to be happening; her face was steely, determined and grim, and she marched past him without even saying hello.

"Erza?" He said quizzically. "What- what is it? What about training?"

Erza turned to look at him, and practically barked the words out.  
"Not today. Hollow infestation two miles outside Karakura. I need to get there _now_, and maybe I'll be able to contain it."

"Wow." Ichigo said sincerely, part of him wishing he could come along. "So…"

"You stay put." Erza said, as if having anticipated his question. "No training today. Take the night off. And if you try and follow me, I'll beat you senseless in the event that you survive. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ichigo said dejectedly. An infestation? He had no idea what that would look like, how many there would be, only that he very much wanted to see one. Still, if there was one thing he had learned, it was that rules were there to be broken unless it pissed off his aunt, in which case you obeyed the rules like your life depended on it.  
As Erza headed out, Ichigo sighed, half with disappointment and half with relief. She was almost gone already, having taken off at breakneck speed. It was downright amazing, the things a full shinigami could do…

Well, a free evening was a free evening. He could go home, catch up on his homework, maybe watch some TV, read a bit of Jane Austen… all very relaxing things. But, as his tired body reminded him, zero-effort efforts would be far more preferable. The park wasn't far from here, maybe half an hour's walk, and a relaxing stroll among the trees with the sun shining down on him seemed quite all right. Said and done, Ichigo headed out, leisurely steering himself toward the park.  
From the back of the store, with an interested look on his face, Urahara Kisuke watched him leave.

He hadn't gone very far before Rukia joined him, casually walking up alongside him.

"Are you stalking me now?" Ichigo said, although his tone was light hearted. He was in a fairly good mood, all things considered.

"Oh, please," Rukia said dismissively. "I make it my business to _always_know where you are. You are my responsibility, after all. What if you were caught all alone without a way of leaving your body?"

"Reassuring." Ichigo said dryly. "For your information, I have a perfectly good soul pill in my pocket. Always carry one."

"Well, you've adapted," Rukia said. "Even so, I think I'll follow you around for a bit."

"Suit yourself," Ichigo said, and shrugged. "Enjoy the earth scenery, or whatever."

"It's a beautiful park." Rukia admitted, looking around. The area was mostly deserted, commonly visited on weekends, a landscape full of lush, leafy trees, and grass, the chirping of birds running through the air. "We have areas like these in the soul society too, of course, but it's… nice."

"Uh huh," Ichigo said, and shrugged. He had a hard time figuring Rukia out. All he knew was that she had a problem with Erza, and apparently they had once been friends… other than that, she seemed a mystery.

"Is there any particular reason you come here, anyway?" Rukia said. "I've never seen you go here before. Then again, I've only known you for so long."

"I dunno," Ichigo said, and shrugged. "It's nice, I guess. That, and…" He said hesitantly.

"What?" Rukia said curiously.

"I have a memory from here," Ichigo said, realizing he very well could have more than one reason for having come here. "When I was a kid, maybe five years old or something, I remember… well, I don't remember a lot. It was raining, and I was scared. Crying. My mom was bleeding, and she was… she was fighting a monster. Not far from here, actually. I always thought it was just my imagination running wild, but now I'm not so sure. I know mom went to the hospital, but that's it."

He took a deep breath, forcing every bit of memory he could back into his mind. It had been so long ago, but it had always seemed so real… because it probably was.

"She was fighting." Ichigo said hesitantly, and their walk slowed, as they came up a hill. Just down it was an empty grass field, with a tree line not far behind it, and a few large rocks to the side. It was here. "She was fighting with… a bow, I think. Against a big, scary monster."

"A bow?" Rukia said curiously.

"Yeah." Ichigo said. "Damn. I mean, I know I already had that whole 'my-life-is-a-lie' epiphany already, but, this, this is… surprising, I guess. Or maybe I was right the first time, and I dreamed it all up."

"It could certainly be real." Rukia said affirmatively. "Karakura has one of the thickest concentrations of spiritual energy in the world, and you see a high frequency of hollow manifestations here."

"Well, I can't be sure, can I?" Ichigo said. "And here I was supposed to just take it easy, not run down memory lane and question my existence…" Ichigo grumbled.

"God is dead and we have killed him?" Rukia said snidely.

"You have a whole afterlife where you mainly work as a soldier, and you still know to quote Nietzsche?" Ichigo said with distaste. "I know I'm just fifteen, but I'm not quite ready to give up on life having meaning and all of us being insignificant in the face of the infinity of space."

"Where do you think Nietzsche went when he died?" Rukia said, and Ichigo couldn't be sure if she was joking or not.

"Whatever," Ichigo mumbled. "My head is screwy enough without adding shallow interpretations of mainstream philosophies to it. I'll sort out myself, _then_ consider pondering the meaning of life and everything."

"Forty-two?" Rukia said innocently.

"…just how much pop culture do you people import?" Ichigo said.

"Oh, that is what you want to know?" Rukia said with a small, sarcastic smile. "Not how many famous historical figures are there, or how the deceased live in the afterlife…?"

"Forget it." Ichigo mumbled, and took a seat by a rock near the dirt road they had been walking on, leaning his back against it.

"Have you always been able to see it?" Rukia said, and joined him by the rock, sitting up straight and staring up at the sky. "The spirits?"

"Far as I can remember, yeah," Ichigo said.

"That's exceptional." Rukia said. "Few ever develop that skill."

"I'm a special snowflake, I know," Ichigo said dismissively. "They keep telling me that, and then my aunt makes me feel like I'm a special piece of dirt mashed into even smaller pieces of dirt."

Rukia laughed.  
"It hurts, I know. She taught me too."

"Really?" Ichigo said curiously. "I think she mentioned being a teacher, but she didn't say anything about that."

"I think she's trying to respect my privacy," Rukia said. "That, or she feels guilty about something else. I… won't get into the problems I have with her, but she did teach me, along with an entire class. She was an academy instructor back then. She accepted no slack, gave no special treatment, and half of us were terrified of her."

"Sounds like her, all right." Ichigo said.

"She was hard, but fair." Rukia nodded, sounding almost appreciative. "Just like an instructor should be. She took dumb, ignorant rookies and made them into soldiers. She only stayed for two years, but… she did a great job back then. Many admired her, and she even formed close bonds with some of her students. They became her friends when they graduated."

"You really liked her, huh?" Ichigo said, looking at Rukia. She had a wistful expression, a far cry from the spite and anger she had always had otherwise.

"It was more than just having a good teacher." Rukia confessed solemnly. "There was a time in my life that was… dark. She helped me through it._Forced_ me through it. That meant something to me."

"…huh." Ichigo said. He had always figured there was history between them, but knowing about it in theory and hearing it were two different things. "So… I guess that makes sense, then. That you'd feel angry."

"I'd rather not, really." Rukia said quickly. "Talk about it. But yes. She was… a good person back then."

"Still is." Ichigo said firmly.

"…yes, probably." Rukia said quietly.

Their moment of peace and quiet was not to last, though. As one they felt a rumbling through the air, the disturbance of negative energy rippling through the air, followed by the distinctive signature of a hollow- and a strong one, at that.

"Portal!" Ichigo said out loud, quickly getting to his feet, and Rukia nodded in confirmation. "One of those things just popped- shit!"

"What can you feel?" Rukia said urgently, standing up and looking around. "I can't sense it properly- you have to do that."

"I…" Ichigo said, and reached into his pants, fumbling after the gikongan pill. After a few seconds- which felt like minutes, which felt like hours- he managed to get it out, and quickly swallowed it. Neatly, he popped out of his body, and stood tall as a shinigami, feeling the weight of his sword on his back.  
"It's… strong." Ichigo mumbled, with a sense of dread. It was close by, he could feel, and it had a ripe, rich spiritual signature, like the stench of carrion. It was a foul, great mass of energy, far above any hollow he had exterminated before. Reiatsu didn't smell, it didn't have that kind of physical property- but if it could, it would have reeked of death and decay. Ichigo felt a sinking feeling, like he was standing in front of a steep drop, about to take a plunge while not really knowing if he dared. Fighting hollows was what he did. He was strong. But there were lots of things much stronger than he, Erza had beat that into him- and she was nowhere near here. If this went wrong, it could go very badly. He could die.

"Where is it?" Rukia asked.

"That way," Ichigo said, pointing toward the treeline. He could almost see it, the trees rustling as it moved. "It's strong. Very strong."

"We could go back to Urahara's shop," Rukia suggested. "We could run there, get help-"

"And let it have free reign over whoever happens to be in the area? Hell no," Ichigo said firmly, that sinking feeling dampening somewhat. Scary as it was, he knew what he had to do. There were people here. Not a lot, but there still were. Nothing stopped it from going out of the park, either. Erza was away, but if that thing went on a killing spree and he didn't even _try_ to stop it- well, he couldn't have that.  
_It wasn't very smart,_ the voice of rationality insisted in his head as he took a step forward. _You might be ashamed to face Erza if you do nothing, but if you're dead then you're dead, and how do you think she will feel then? She told you not to get in too deep. She'd tell you to run away. Dying heroically gets you dead, nothing more._  
But some things you just had to do.

"I'm going." Ichigo said. "Keep your head down and don't get dragged into it."

"Be careful." Rukia said, and nodded.

Ichigo took another step forward, and another, steps that quickly turned into a run. It hadn't been a minute since the hollow had materialized, but he wasn't about to give it a chance to run away. He headed toward the tree line, and there it was, emerging from the woods.

It was big, all right. Nearly twice as tall as Ichigo, it was the size of a small bus. It looked like a grotesque, oversized and misshapen hamster, its bone white mask leering at Ichigo with the eyes of a predator eyeing its prey. As Ichigo pulled out his sword, it began creeping toward him slowly, nimble on its feet like a cat, surprisingly agile for a creature so fat and so huge.

"Shinigami…" It said, letting out a chuckle, a low rumble deep from its throat. "It's been a while since I had such a fine meal."

"Come eat, then," Ichigo said, with far more confidence than he actually felt.

"I've eaten three of your kind before," The creature said smugly, continuing to pace to the side. Knowing it was looking for an angle of attack, Ichigo carefully matched its steps, keeping his sword pointed directly at it. "Low rank trash like you do not impress me."

"You sure talk a lot," Ichigo shot back. "If you're so strong, why haven't you pounced on me yet?"

"No hurry," The hollow said lazily. There was some hope to this, Ichigo realized. It was clearly taking him seriously, which meant he probably had a decent shot. He just had to avoid running in headlong- Erza would have his head for doing something that stupid, even if he survived.

The hollow stopped, for just a second, and then on it came, leaping forward with a savage quickness far greater than Ichigo would have expected. But his training wasn't for nothing, and Ichigo took a step back, braced himself, and quickly parried its first strike. The hollow viciously struck again with its other front paw, not a moment later, but Ichigo had already jumped back. He tried to bring his sword up for a strike, but the hollow was too fast. All he could do at the moment was defend. Finally, after parrying another three strikes, the palm of the hollow's paw clashed with Ichigo's blade, and he could see blood seeping out. It was pushing down on him, hard, and it was a tribute to the fantastical workings of reiatsu physics that Ichigo was not overwhelmed by its sheer mass. Ichigo grunted and pushed back as hard as he could, aware of the hollow's other arm, knowing it could strike at any moment.

"Impressive," The hollow rumbled, with a malevolent glee in its voice.

"You're the one bleeding, so don't get cocky!" Ichigo snarled.

"Let's see about that." The hollow cackled, and suddenly its fingers extended like spears, three of them stabbing right into Ichigo's chest. Ichigo gasped, and stood as paralyzed for a second, completely caught off guard. To his surprise, though, the hollow did not pounce, instead taking a few steps back, pulling its spear-like fingers out. The wounds were shallow, Ichigo realized, and while it hurt it did nothing to wear him down.

"Was that it?" Ichigo said, feigning overconfidence- if it underestimated him, then that was all the better. "That was nothing. My aunt hurts me worse than that every day."

The hollow let out a low, rumbling cackle, laughing gleefully.  
"Allow me to introduce myself, boy," it said, glee in its voice. Ichigo could see something stir at the top of its mask, just where the mask itself ended and its body began. "I am called Grand Fisher. I have lived and hunted your kind for a hundred years, and you are all just as arrogant. The three shinigami I ate before were all sure of themselves, and they all made me stronger when I gobbled their guts, their bones, their flesh. All I needed was a bit of your blood."

"Yeah?" Ichigo said. Boasting as it was, Ichigo figured it might leave an opening. It was worth the try, at least.

"I remember now," it said, its red, evil-minded eyes fixated on Ichigo's face. "This place. Years ago. Here, I sampled your kin. Oh, she would have been a treat…"

Ichigo, deciding that listening to him talk was doing him no favours, chose to make his move. Quickly he dashed forward, his sword held down and sideways, going for an upward slash-  
But then the growth on Fisher's head moved, extending like a tendril from a plant, and suddenly Ichigo saw his mother standing right in front of him. Ichigo came to a screeching halt, his sword falling from its ready position, and he stuttered,  
"M-mom?!"

"Ichigo, please don't hurt me," she said. It looked like her. It sounded exactly like her. At the back of his mind, Ichigo realized it had to be a trick- he tried to sense, sense for his mother's unmistakable signature…  
And then Grand Fisher's claws hit him in the side, digging deep into his flesh and sending him tumbling. Ichigo let out a pained wheeze. The air in his lungs had left him, and he felt a burning pain as the sensation of blood wetting his shihakusho crept upon him. Desperately he got up to his knees, struggling to stand. It could pounce at any moment, and if it did, he was done for. Despite the pain, despite the burning and the blood flowing freely down his side, he stood up.

Grand Fisher laughed, looking at Ichigo like a cat making ready to play with a mouse.  
"You are all the same, you arrogant shinigami scum," he rumbled, and laughed again. "You trust your sword to carry through, never once expecting that your enemy would hit somewhere your sword could not parry!"

"That's a dirty trick," Ichigo said. He was feeling faint, a little dizzy, and knew that he had to focus. _Your body lies to you, Ichigo,_ he remembered his aunt lecturing, _even as a human, it tells you to stop long before you've given it your all. As a shinigami, you can go that much further. See the lie for what it is. Fight. Don't give in until your body cannot move a muscle._  
This was it. This was what she had trained him for. Alone, against a strong, cunning enemy, bleeding and struggling to stand, let alone raise his sword, this was a trial by fire.

He was not done. Not by a long shot. This was where Erza would force him to keep going, show him that yes, you _can_ raise your sword and fight. Resolutely, Ichigo raised his sword, ignoring the pain in his side, and took a stance.  
_You are in charge. You are not done until you have given it your all._

The words echoed through his mind, as he readied himself.

"Oh?" Fisher said, cocking its head to the side, as if he had seen something quaint. "You will attempt a bit of valiance after all?" He chuckled again, and stepped forward, making ready to pounce. "Good. It is always more fun when they struggle."

Ichigo forced a focus on himself. There was the pain, but it was dull, as if existing somewhere else. There were the trees, the rocks, the grass, but they were of no consequence. There was the smallest breeze in his face, but it didn't even register. There was only him, his sword, and the bulky form of Grand Fisher, about to pounce.  
And from somewhere within him, he felt a power rise, force of a kind he had only felt a few times when Erza had pushed him long and hard, during his very best sparring sessions.

Grand Fisher pounced, but it was almost as if it happened in slow motion. Waiting one moment, two moments, Ichigo let it come closer. Then, as it was almost upon him, paw raised for what it surely thought was a devastating blow, Ichigo dashed to the side and then forward, raking his sword across Fisher's side. Its thick hide and fur bore most of the cut, but Ichigo could feel it pierce the skin, blood splashing on the ground.

"What?!" Fisher snarled, turning around quickly. "You little brat, I'll make you suffer for that!"

Ichigo did not reply, once again readying himself. Part of him noted how easily he had been able to ignore the pain. He had been cut deeply, and he was bleeding profusely still. If he had been human, several vital organs would have been ruptured, and he would likely be dead or dying already. But as a shinigami, it was more of a… nuisance. It hurt, but not nearly as much as it should. Still, he would not get cocky. Fisher was angry now, and that was another advantage in Ichigo's favour. Coolly, he took a stance again, waiting for the monster to attack.  
Again it came, snarling, crashing down on him with tremendous force.

_But power without finesse is meaningless,_ Erza's voice echoed in his head._Raw strength loses to technique in almost every situation._ Ichigo was smaller in size, and couldn't hit quite as hard, but that needn't mean a thing.

The hollow's claws came down, raking at him furiously, but Ichigo parried them, anticipating their movement. He took one, two, three light-footed steps backward, then, as the claws came at him again, he dodged under a wide, uncontrolled slash, and cut deep and hard into Fisher's chest, immediately rolling away as the monster lashed out with a counterattack. It was furious now, and let out a roar, charging again. The process repeated itself three times, Ichigo reading its movements, evading its attacks, and seeing an opening to cut deep into its flesh.  
Part of him felt amazed at how easy it was. The monster's movements seemed slow, clumsy, painfully predictable. All he had to do was know where to be at what time, and it seemed unable to touch him. Compared to the furious speed Erza had made him used to, this only just barely came close.

It charged again, abandoning its bull-headed, direct approach, instead trying to jab at Ichigo, find an opening of its own. There was a problem here; not only was the monster smart enough to change its strategy, but it was too big, too huge for Ichigo to get a good crack at its mask. One hard hit across that would mean the end of this fight, and the hollow knew it well. The pain was still there, and while shinigami physique was extraordinary, Ichigo was not keen to find out just how much he could bleed before he collapsed. He was the one who had been hurt the worst- for all the cuts he had made into Fisher, its blood staining the grass plentifully, none of the cuts were all that deep relative to its size. He had to find a way to end this, not just dance around surviving.

Frustrated with its lack of success clawing at Ichigo, the young shinigami-in-training parrying or evading his every strike, Grand Fisher took a step back. He stood up on his hind legs, towering over Ichigo, and once more extended the lure, taking the shape of the boy's mother. It had worked like a charm the first time, and he was strong- too strong for Fisher's liking. The lure went down, hanging by his tentacle, and Fisher waited for its effect.

His mother- no, _no, it's a trick, it's a trick damn it-_ came down again. Even knowing what it was, it was as if a blanket folded itself over his mind, almost like it were hypnosis. Everything in his brain told him this was his mother, his beloved mom who had raised him lovingly all these years, and he would never want to raise a sword to her, would he?  
_It's a trick!_ Part of him snarled inside his mind. _It's not real! Wake up- he's going to use it to strike at you again when your guard is down, do you hear?_  
Ichigo felt dull. The awareness he had felt, the sheer focus, was fading away, and he felt calmer. It was his mother…  
He sensed for her reiatsu, and found none. But it had to be her. Right?

_NO._

With a sense of victorious glee, Fisher let his claw come down. He would crush the boy's skull this time, ending him immediately. Playing with him would have been more fun, enjoying his screams of pain as he bit off one limb at a time, but it would be too dangerous. One strike, quick and easy-  
And then he felt the sharp edge of a sword blocking his strike, cutting into his palm. He had put quite some force behind it, and it cut deep into his skin.

"What?!" Fisher hissed. "That's impossible- you can't-"

"Because nobody saw through this before?" Ichigo hissed, a rage slowly building up in his chest, rising from his toes to his head. Letting out a snarl, he pushed Grand Fisher back, and before the best could recover, he lunged forward, viciously cutting its left forearm off. The limb fell to the ground, bouncing once, and Fisher staggered back, feeling the pain as his blood splashed plentifully to the ground, staining the grass a deep red.

"I bet you think you were so damn special," Ichigo spat, flinging blood off his sword. "You have that cheap-ass special ability, and you like catching people off guard with it, because you're too damn weak to fight anybody strong head on. My mother! You used my mother against me, you horrible, cheap piece of offal!"

Fisher opened his mouth to retort. He didn't understand. The shinigami had not seemed that strong, and what was worse, his trick had never failed before. This was… shocking.  
"You… you little…" he snarled, collapsing down on three legs.

Fiercely, Ichigo charged forward, taking the initiative for the first time.  
"You know," he spat, as he swung his sword in long, hard, methodic swings, which Fisher just barely could catch with one hand, "I've purged monsters like you before. But you went and made that personal, Fisher." He dodged a counterattack with contemptuous ease, and shot forward, his zanpakutou burying itself in Fisher's chest. The hollow roared with pain as Ichigo twisted the sword and ripped it free, spraying fresh stains of blood on the grass.  
Fisher, having run out of confident, condescending words, viciously clawed at Ichigo, with the singular focus of an animal with its back against the wall, bent on survival. It was fast, desperate and vicious. It was not enough. With a furious swing, Ichigo cut once more, severing the right arm, and Fisher collapsed on the ground.

"It's pretty pitiful, being a hollow," Ichigo said coldly, raising his blade like an executioner. "You don't _choose_ becoming a monster, after all. But you really earned this one."

Fisher cried out one last time, and Ichigo's blade came down. The mask was sturdy, thick and heavy, and for an instance Ichigo thought the one blow would not be enough. But the blade cut through, cracking under the weight of the blow, if a bit slower than usual. It took a second, but then the process began, Grand Fisher dissolving. Ichigo looked at the monster, pitiful, bleeding and broken, as it began to break down into tiny, glowing particles, flowing away like dust in the wind.  
He had very nearly died. But there he was, still standing.

And, he became aware as the adrenalin- or whatever equivalent there were for shinigami- began to wear off, he was in a significant amount of pain. The immediate danger gone, he was now aware that he had three sizeable holes in his side, and that most of the left side of his shihakusho was soiled with blood. Letting out a cough, he let his blade sink into the ground, and he fell to one knee. He felt nauseated, not from the pain so much as from the experience itself, the brush with death.  
But despite himself, he had to admit it had been… a thrill. To fight, to really fight with real stakes, to find a challenge and overcome it. He could do without the pain, but… dear lord, he had enjoyed it.

He stood like that for one, two minutes, maybe five. He had no clue, really, only the forced breaths and the dim view of the blood-stained grass in front of him reminding him that he was still in reality. Then, he heard a clapping from elsewhere, a slow, appreciative clap getting a little louder as its source came closer.

"Mr. Kurosaki!" Said a cheery, carefree voice, and the claps ended as Ichigo raised his head. The world was a little blurry, but he could still make out who it was- the blond hair, the bucket hat, the white-and-green striped coat. It was Urahara, the shop keeper, the one Erza relied on but didn't like.  
"A job well done, I must say. Excellent, in fact." He said cheerily, as he kneeled on the ground, collecting samples of blood in little phials- his and Fisher's both, Ichigo noted.

"I'd shake your hand," The shopkeeper continued, "but I suspect you are not in any condition to even stand up at the moment. Which is perfectly understandable, of course."

"What-what are you doing?" Ichigo mumbled, exhaustion setting in.

"Gathering material for scientific analysis, naturally." Urahara said, as if it were obvious. "If it helps, I should clarify that you were never _really_ in danger. I was watching close by. If things had got out of control, I would have intervened."

"You _what?"_ Ichigo said, mustering the energy to be surprised.

"Yes, yes, it must seem awfully callous," Urahara said, stuffing the phials in a pocked of his jacket, "but we all make sacrifices. Besides, you rose to the challenge admirably. Now, why don't I escort you back to the store? We will pick up miss Rukia and your body along the way, and see to treating your injuries. You will be up and about in no time, I assure you."

Ichigo wanted to protest, wanted to ask what the hell was going on, but found himself lacking the energy. He was exhausted, mentally more than physically, and relying on somebody else for treatment felt deserved, at the very least.

* * *

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he woke up, but he felt surprisingly pleasant when his eyes opened, blinking a few times. There was no daylight, he realized, so he had to have been out for a good few hours- assuming this was even the same day. Cautiously, he tried sitting up, anticipating a sharp jerk of pain. To his surprise, the pain was dull, reduced and distant, and combined with the somewhat blurry way he saw the world, he deduced he had probably been put on some sort of drug. He blinked a couple more times, and as his vision cleared a little, he looked around. He was in a simple room with a sliding door, lying in a comfortable futon, stripped down to his underwear. Thick bandages were wrapped around his midsection, with even thicker paddings underneath. There was the sense of some kind of spiritual energy, residue of something he couldn't recognize. Judging from the comparative lack of blood and pain, he guessed it was some sort of mystical healing art; he had at least heard of it, though he had not witnessed it directly before.  
He blinked again. The last he remembered was… well, he was being led somewhere by that Urahara guy. Rukia had been there, too. He was obviously still in his shinigami form, which meant he'd needed serious healing before he could get back in his body.

He had beaten a strong, dangerous hollow all on his own.

As the realization sunk in, he heard muffled, distant voices talking, arguing. One, he realized after a few seconds, he recognized. It was his aunt, sounding upset- and well, she probably would be. Cautiously he tried standing up, grabbing a simple robe lying next to the bed, probably placed there for him to use. He ached, but not so bad he couldn't walk, and carefully slid the door open. Slowly and carefully he walked out, toward the front of the shop.

"-and I am telling you, if he suffers any lasting injuries there will be _hell_ to pay," came the voice of his aunt. "I get out of town for a few hours, and this happens? He's my responsibility- Ichigo!" She said, turning her head toward him as she saw him in the doorway. Urahara stood there behind the counter, presumably the focus of Erza's venting process, and looked at him with a content smile.  
"Ichigo, you should be in bed!" She said firmly, and marched toward him. "Come on- what room were you in?"

"Auntie, I'm fine-" he protested.

"What. Room." Erza said, and there was no room for disagreement in her voice. Lamely, Ichigo pointed, and with caution, insisting on supporting him every step of the way, Erza marched him back to the room. Impatiently, she helped him into bed, and Ichigo dared not say he needed no help at all. Once tucked back in to bed, a blanket pulled up to his chin, Erza sat cross-legged by the futon, looking down on him. Ichigo looked up at her, and a feeling of dread rose inside him. He had not been careful. He had been reckless, which was the opposite of careful, and doing the opposite of what Erza told you got you your ass kicked. She probably would not physically beat him, not in this state- although she likely would when he had healed- but he was in for a hell of a lecture, he was sure of it.

"Are you all right?" Erza said quietly, not sure how badly hurt Ichigo was.

"I'm fine," Ichigo mumbled. "I don't know what the bucket hat did, but it worked real nice. I barely even hurt."

"You…" Erza said, taking a deep breath. "You'll live, he said. Full recovery. Apparently it was _only_ three foot long claws puncturing your torso."

Ichigo took a deep breath. Here it came.

"Ichigo," Erza said, looking him in the eyes, her gaze steely, "what were you thinking?"

"Uh," Ichigo said hesitantly, knowing there was no right answer, "I could have run for help but then he might have gone for some innocent people who couldn't defend themselves?"

Erza made a fist, and looked at him with a vicious glare. "Kurosaki Ichigo, that was utter foolishness. That was idiotic. It was dangerous, reckless, stupid, nearly fatal, that was a catastrophic mistake-"

"I'm sorry," Ichigo mumbled.

"Shut up. I'm not done yet." Erza said firmly, and Ichigo swallowed. "That was _completely idiotic_, dangerous and I am incredibly proud of you."

Ichigo blinked, this time out of surprise.  
"What?"

"I've never talked much about my old life," Erza said, "but when I was alive, in a whole different world from this, I belonged to a guild. We did things like these… all of the time. Risking your life like that is very, very stupid, but it's also the right thing to do. Act first, think later, go with your gut and screw the consequences, that was… well, sort of an unofficial motto."

"You know, that is a _really_ mixed message compared to everything you said so far," Ichigo said, in his confusion resorting to a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, don't expect this to mean you can freely charge in like an idiot every time you please," Erza said firmly, almost angrily, and scowled. "But… there is a time and a place. Sometimes you have to try the impossible. Sometimes you go against the odds, when it would be rational to back out, because _screw the odds_. A time and a place, Ichigo, and only your best judgment can tell when. But if you take that to mean you can choose when not to listen to me, I'll make you wish for this sickbed again."

"Gotcha." Ichigo mumbled.

"So what happened?"

"Well…" Ichigo said, and recounted the whole of the fight, the walk in the park, the sudden appearance of the hollow, its strength, how afraid he had been, that special ability, and how he had risen to the occasion.  
"It's funny, you know," Ichigo mumbled, feeling puzzled as he reflected on the event. It felt almost like a dream, thinking back to it. "It was like something… just kicked in after it got me the first time. It was like… I don't want to say time slowed or nothing, but I could read everything better. I knew what was where. I knew where I needed to be and when. That hollow, it was fast and vicious, but it felt slow to me. Is… is this some sort of special shinigami ability?"

"No, Ichigo," Erza said, shaking her head. "It's nothing special, but it is vital. You were faced with danger, and you kept a level head. It's not a magic trick. It's awareness, the kind that only training and hard work can give you. Humans can attain it as much as any shinigami. It's just concentration in its most important form."

"…huh." Ichigo mumbled, almost disappointed. "So the real deal came along, and I just remembered my training, that's it?"

"Don't say that like it means little, because it doesn't." Erza said, her voice serious. "It means everything. Shinigami may have magic, a supernatural strength and endurance, but ninety-nine percent of it comes down to hard work. You trained. I trained you. It had an effect where it mattered the most. It makes me proud, and it should make you proud, too."

"…yeah," Ichigo said, his spirits rising. It was not often he was praised like this. "Yeah, I can do that. Feel a bit of pride."

"Now, rest." Erza said. "I still have to notify your mother, and _there_ is a conversation I do not look forward to having."

"Oh, yeah…" Ichigo muttered, feeling faint again. His mom… yes, she'd have words for him. Might as well rest, then.

* * *

Erza watched over Ichigo, and once she was sure he had fallen asleep again, she quietly got to her feet, and walked back out in search of Urahara Kisuke. She still had some choice words for him. The man was gone from the store's front, the desk being manned by one of those mod-soul children. Erza did not spend much time here, aside from the cellar, but she knew he had a personal laboratory in the back. Heading right there, she almost ripped the door off its hinges as she pulled it open.

"Careful, careful," Urahara said, sitting bent over a table, with a microscope, several petri dishes and pipettes on it. "Doors aren't cheap, you know."

"I don't give a damn about your door." Erza said. She was calm now- comparatively- after speaking to Ichigo, but looking at Urahara, she felt the anger rising again. "We will have words, or I will wreck this miserable room."

"Oh, you wouldn't." Urahara said. "Surely you'd never compromise such precious knowledge-"

That tone, at the same time flippant, dismissive and disinterested, as if she was just a nuisance, was enough.  
"You think I'm kidding?" Erza snarled, and slammed her fist onto the table, rattling his experiment.

"Careful-" Urahara said urgently. He took a deep breath, sat up straight, and swung his chair around. "You wanted to talk. Let's talk. If it's about my experiments, I assure you I had the boy treated first-"

"You know, I'm not a super genius," Erza said coldly, and looked him right in the eye, "but I'm not an idiot either."  
The stare, which terrified most people she knew, seemed to have no effect; he didn't budge. It was infuriating.

"Oh, I would never deign to underestimate you, Erza," Urahara said, sounding serious enough- but you could rarely tell with him. "I know exactly how intelligent you are. I know where you stand."

"I'm not an idiot," Erza repeated. "There is a hollow infestation. A massive one, just enough to keep me busy for a few hours. Conveniently situated well outside the city where it might hurt people. And then at the same time, Ichigo just happens to run into a powerful hollow, one just in line with his level of strength. Convenient, isn't it?"

"Ever heard of coincidences, miss Scarlet?" Urahara said innocently. "They do happen. Given your history with manipulation, I can't blame you for being a mite paranoid, but-"

"An infestation while he happens upon a hollow is coincidence." Erza said, her voice like cold steel, "but him running into the _exact same hollow_ that attacked his mother when he was little? That just _happens_ to manifest on top of Ichigo?" She clenched her fists. "You can deny it all you want. Likewise, I can burn down this entire laboratory with a bit of kido."

"Don't be hasty," Urahara said. His voice was smooth, in control, but there was an urgency to it. "It sounds as if you accuse me of… well, having deliberately set up a distraction only to summon a very specific hollow to test Ichigo. That is a _very_ serious accusation, and-"

"Say 'I'm hurt' and I'm going to break your nose." Erza said bluntly.

"-and it is one for which you have no evidence." Urahara said, smooth as a well-oiled machine. "Really, all you have is assumption. _But,_" he added, seeing Erza's progressively darkening expression, "_if_ one were to orchestrate such a set of events, in such a genial and almost flawless manner, then surely you would see that it was masterminded to perfection. That I, were I behind it, would have taken _every_ necessary precaution to assure young Mr. Kurosaki's safety. Surely you can see that?"

"He is in bed with severe mauling injuries." Erza said flatly. "And I am this close to rearranging your face. Give me a reason not to."

"…let me put it like this," Urahara said cautiously. "You are close to the boy. As you should, having been part of his life for so long. But even with your legendary harshness, you go a bit… soft on him. This was the first time he had to face serious combat, and he held up brilliantly- without the slightest need for help."

"I determine when he's ready!" Erza snarled, and grabbed him by the collar, hoisting him up from his seat. "That is MY call! I am his sensei, and he is NOT your test subject to use as you please!"

"Well, technically I've been testing him since first you started training in the basement- which is my property, by the way, that I graciously have let you use free of charge-"

Erza raised a fist.

"Aren't you even a little curious?" Urahara added anxiously. "Haven't you considered there was a reason for this? I don't collect data just for the fun of it, you know!"

"Talk, and make it good." Erza said, her fist still raised.

"His power," Urahara said. "You're a hundred years old. You've been through the academy. You have _taught_ at the academy. You served with the best. Have you _ever_ seen anybody with such raw potential? So much strength with so little age? You say he's one in a million, but that's not even true- he's unique, and you know it."

"What of it?" Erza said dismissively.

"The normal cannot exist without the abnormal, naturally," Urahara explained as best he could, all but lifted from the floor by Erza, "but unique phenomena demand an explanation. Have you never asked yourself why he is so strong?"

"His father is a captain and his mother a quincy of considerable power. Talk about winning the genetic lottery."

"That accounts for some of it, yes," Urahara nodded, "but that's not nearly enough. Now, with this new data… I am on to something."

Finally, Erza let go, and Urahara shot her a smile. "I have a preliminary analysis- preliminary, mind you, because there is a lot of data to analyze and verify- but the core of it is… Ichigo is not really human."

"What?" Erza said, and frowned. "You mean-"

"The DNA supplied from the gigai I made- expertly, I might add- made him human enough, that's not what I mean," Urahara said. "No, it's… here, look," he said, pulling out a few papers, with charts Erza couldn't quite understand.  
"Observe: the reiatsu pattern of a normal shinigami."

"Every pattern is different, like a fingerprint."

"Yes," Urahara said, "but they all behave in such a way that you can identify them as shinigami, or a regular plus soul, or a quincy, and so on. Do you see how the pattern runs?"  
He held up the papers, eagerly trying to demonstrate it.

"Now," he said, holding up another paper, whose curved waves and figures looked radically different even to Erza, despite her lack of knowledge of the science behind it, "look at this. Ichigo's reiatsu pattern. Fluctuating wildly, and enormously powerful. Preliminary assessment- and I do repeat, it is preliminary…."

"Just say it," Erza said impatiently.

"He has the spiritual structure of a hybrid." Urahara said. "Reiatsu has its own equivalent to DNA. It mimics the human anatomy fairly well, since it is the blueprint from which it evolved. In yours or mine, you would find regular DNA, cells, molecules that you would find on any shinigami. In him, it is… different. As if merged with a whole other source of power."

"Hybrid?" Erza said. "Hybrid of what?"

"_That_ is the question, yes," Urahara said, and grinned widely. "I do not know yet. For all I know it could take years to analyze. I am a genius, but data takes time to sift through, and we do not have the glorious funding that the Gotei does. But know this- he is absolutely exceptional. In all my time as a scientist, I have seen nothing like it. And," he added hastily, "this could prove vital. My little experiment- if I did perform it, and I'm not saying that I did- is totally justified, ethically and practically."

"And what about when Rukia takes her power back?"

"Well, we'd have to find a way around that. He has grown explosively since then, and it's not going to stop." Urahara said, sounding intrigued. "There is no known limit to how far he could go- he could surpass you eventually. In a few years or a few decades, who knows. You had best teach him to handle power, because it's part of him now."

He was right, Erza knew. She only wished he didn't sound so happy about it.  
"I won't forget about this," She said, and scowled.

"I am sure you won't. And when you one day thank me for it, I'll be gracious enough not to hold a grudge. But till then…"

Erza growled, and turned around. The thought of breaking his nose, and a few other things, was still tempting- but it _was_ a strange thing, and as shifty as he was, he valued his science. Knowing where this power came from could prove vital. Ethically and morally justified? In his dreams. But as usual, he managed to make himself useful enough that she needed him. What was with Ichigo? She had to admit, she _did_ want to know.  
But if he overstepped like this again, no amount of slippery talking would get him out of a thrashing.

* * *

**With that, we have dealt with the infamous Grand fisher. While I truly enjoy the original arc in its glory, and Im MORE than happy that Isshin killed that damn hollow, I've always been a bit upset that Ichigo never got a rematch, or for all we know, never knew what happened to that damn hollow. I also felt that the real reason Ichigo lost to grand fisher wasn't a lack or reiatsu, but a lack of training and skill. Thanks to Erza, he had just what he needed to win.**

**I know Erza really didn't do much this chapter, and im going to make sure she has more of a role in this arc, but for substitute soul reaper arc, Ichigo will be our focus. Once we get to Soul society however, that focus will be focused on both of them.**

**Also, I hope you all enjoyed our explanation as to how Ichigo can become so strong so fast. It makes sense to me personally.**

**Now, lets talk about the recent chapters of each series.**

**Bleach's fight with Gerrard was really good in my opinion. Seeing Toshiro at his full potential and Kenpachi using his bankai are moments of pure awesomeness. Whenever or not I can fit them into this story remains unknown, just know that I do give my approval for it.**

**As for Fairy tail, while the fights with the "Memories" were interesting, the REAL focus, and important factor fall's upon Lady E****ileen Belserion. We know from Brandish that she is the strongest member of Zeref's elite force, but we also know that she has SOME connection to Erza.**

**Is she her mother? Older sister? Aunt? All we know for sure is that they ARE related. I want to know more NOW! This information could be crucial to this story. **

**Regardless of all that however, I enjoyed both series for this past month.**

**Anyways, I thank you all so much for reading this chapter. I would really appericate it though if you left me a review. You see, my brthday is the 19th of this month, so think of your review as a birthday present for me. :)**

**Thank you all so much for reading. **


	29. Quincy Archer Hates you? Deal with it!

**I figured you readers could all use an early chapter, so here we are. I do hope that you all enjoy it.**

**Not the longest chapter eve, but it does cover something important. I do hope you all enjoy it. Also, please leave some reviews, I love the feedback.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

School had ended, and Tatsuki had made her way down to that spacious, magical basement, as she had done on and off for the last few weeks. Mainly to watch Ichigo train, because there was no denying it, it looked _cool._ Moving at the speed of lightning, swinging great big swords around, wearing those black kimono… it was like something out of a movie, but with the added advantage of being real. Ichigo had reacted to the supernatural with surprise followed by stoic acceptance bordering on apathy, but Tatsuki's reaction was one of continued awe. Sure, it did fly in the face of everything she had learned about the physical universe, but then again, cars, vaccines, airplanes and the internet would have had the same exact effect on somebody from four hundred years ago. It was a wondrous, frightening and mysterious world, and she was glad to be a part of it, even as a side-liner. Knowing this, that most of everybody else did not, had its appeal.

But as wondrous and awe-inspiring as it was, there was an aftertaste to each experience. It was childish in its roots, and Tatsuki knew it. When they were kids, Ichigo had never been able to beat her in karate. She had been faster, stronger, better in every regard. Then puberty had started to kick in, and she couldn't really win anymore. It had infuriated her for a time, but she had come to accept it. Nature had equipped males with more muscle mass and larger size, which was a natural advantage in any kind of martial art. There was nothing to be done about it.  
She had thought that childish grudge gone. But now, with Ichigo having grown all this power, so much strength and skill that literally nothing she had could compare, there was no denying it.

She was jealous.

Jealous, and frustrated, because she _hated_ the idea of dependence, that if a hollow popped up she would have to rely on him to protect her. Japanese culture had its ideas about what women should and shouldn't do, and Tatsuki had spent most of her life flying in the face of that. Girls should be girly. Girls should rely on boys to protect and care for them. She had heard it enough times to want to snap the necks of the people who said it. She kept her hair short, because she liked it that way, and she kept on doing karate, because it made her feel strong. It kept her fit.  
And now she had gone from knowing that she could beat the snot out of almost any potential robber, pervert or rapist out there, to knowing that these predators were small fish in a large pond, nothing compared to the real monsters, the ones that ate you alive, flesh and soul both. And Ichigo was the one who could fight them. Not her.  
What was worse, he didn't even have the decency to be smug about it. His sensei would never have that. It wasn't like he had _asked_ for this either.

There was no rational reason to be jealous, frustrated and angry with being left behind like this. Objectively this was nobody's fault, just the way life pans out.  
But emotion was anything but objective and rational, and each time Ichigo left for a hollow hunt with Erza, she felt a little pang- of anger, of jealousy, and guilt that she felt these things in the first place.  
It wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair, but damn it, she _wanted_ it to be.

The best way to work off negative feelings, she knew, was physical. Reflection and self-realization was effective for some people, probably the kind of pricks who were actually mature, but not nearly as effective as a thorough release of adrenaline and the various endorphins a proper workout added. So she took a stance, and threw a punch.  
Going through the various forms of karate she knew, over and over, she soon worked up a sweat. Fancy moves were all right, but it's the punch you practice a thousand times that really works. Her instructor had hammered that one home, and Tatsuki had largely found it to be true. As she let her muscles work, as little beads of sweat formed on her back and forehead, sure enough she felt her feelings take the backseat to the task at hand.  
She had practiced for a little less than an hour when she noticed a purple-haired figure sitting on a nearby rock. She wore an orange jacket of sorts, she saw, and tight-fitting black pants. She didn't recognize her, but she probably had reason to be here. She had dark skin, so she was definitely not from around here.

"Your form is all right," the woman called out, sounding a little amused, and there was the suggestion that it was _all right_, not great.

"…thanks." Tatsuki muttered, and continued. Being watched made her oddly uncomfortable. She had assumed she was alone, entirely alone, what with Ichigo and Erza being out on yet another one of their hunts. She had thrown a few more punches and kicked high, when the oddly-coloured stranger chimed in again.

"I think you might have overextended a little."

She was right, Tatsuki knew- her kick had been a little more committed than it should have been. Still, she was in no mood to be criticized by a stranger. Grunting something intelligible, but unmistakably hostile, she continued.

"There it was again," The woman said. Her voice was teetering between amused and relaxed, and Tatsuki got a sense of why Erza despised that shopkeeper so much. "It would be fairly easy to catch that punch, grab your arm and break it. Not that it would matter anywhere outside a very high level match, but you seem like a serious young lady. Aiming high, aren't you?"

"I'm a regional champion." Tatsuki said sourly. "I'll be a national champion someday, too."

"That's the spirit." The woman said, shooting her a grin.

"Look," Tatsuki said, huffing a little as she stopped her practice, standing up straight, "do you have something to say?"

"Oh, nothing," The woman said flippantly. "I shouldn't criticize, really. You are doing excellently for your age."

True as that was, Tatsuki could not help but feel like she was being condescended.  
"Well, I could do better, apparently," she said irritably. "Since you seem to have all these opinions, why don't you show me, huh?"

"Really?" The woman said, sounding even more amused.

"Go on, spar with me," Tatsuki said irritably. This was probably stupid, she knew, because if she was involved with Urahara Kisuke then she was probably one of those empowered freaks of nature she could never win against- but Tatsuki was more like Ichigo than she'd care to admit, and a sense of stubborn recklessness was not alien to her.

"Really, you're doing fine," The woman insisted. Had she not sounded so amused, so supremely confident, Tatsuki would have guessed she was afraid.

"Go on," Tatsuki said. "Don't talk shit if you can't back it up."

"Well, maybe just a bit," The woman said, and shrugged. Smoothly she hopped to her feet, moving with grace and elegance. She wasn't very tall, but she moved with confidence. Her hair was purple, looking as if it were her natural color, and her eyes had a yellow, almost golden tint. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and there was a sly smile on her face. She looked alien, entirely different, and looking at her Tatsuki felt sure she was not a normal human being. But there was no backing out now. Deciding to take the initiative, Tatsuki rushed forward, throwing a punch. It was a good, solid move, well-practiced, and for a second she could swear it was hitting home. Then, at the last moment, the woman pulled back, the punch falling less than an inch short of its target. Tatsuki could almost feel the skin of her opponent, almost…  
Not deterred, Tatsuki threw a roundhouse kick, a punch, a set of quick jabs…  
The process kept repeating itself. No matter how hard Tatsuki tried, no matter how much she focused, she couldn't hit the dark-skinned woman. Every time she would get close, at the last second she would dodge, move out of the way, Tatsuki's attacks striking thin air each time, by the thinnest of margins. It was infuriating.  
The woman didn't have a longer reach than Tatsuki. She wasn't taller than her. There was no visible natural advantage. She was simply… that much better. But even in the face of total adversity, Tatsuki refused to yield. The dance continued, one punch and a kick at a time, until sweat ran freely down Tatsuki's back. It had been maybe half an hour, maybe more, and going at it the best she could, she was growing tired, sluggish, her movements slower and more erratic. All the while, the dark-skinned woman wore a content smile on her face, one that to Tatsuki read like concentrated smugness. Emotion was bias, after all.

"You know," Tatsuki huffed, drawing in ragged breaths in between punches, "it's not a spar if I'm the only one hitting!"

"I'm trying to save you the embarrassment, kid," The woman teased.

"This isn't embarrassing already?" Tatsuki growled, missing yet another punch, this one going wide over the woman's shoulder. "Hit back, damn it!"

"You want to hurt for no reason?" She asked.

"Stop talking and take me seriously!" Tatsuki shot back. "I don't care how much better you are than me, fight back! I don't care if you floor me-"

In an instant, Tatsuki felt a punch to her solar plexus. It was rather light, all things considered, but it felt like a mule's kick. The next second, without knowing exactly how it happened, Tatsuki was flipped onto her back, slamming into the ground with enough force to almost knock the air out of her lungs. Drawing long, ragged breaths she closed her eyes for a bit, just recovering, her arms down at the ground as she lay still.

"Is that enough?" The woman said bemusedly.

"Just- just a second," Tatsuki muttered. She ached, both from her strained muscles and from the hits she had taken, but inside she burned with the desire to get up and fight. It was just that the rest of her body hadn't quite gotten the message yet.  
"Just a second, and I'll get up, kick your ass…"

"You're stubborn enough to be a man," the woman said, and Tatsuki saw a grin on her face as she opened her eyes.

Forcing herself up onto her elbows, Tatsuki glared at her defiantly. "You're not normal."

"Nope, definitely not," the woman agreed.

"…are you like Erza?"

"Let's say she isn't unique, yes?" The woman said, and extended a hand. "You may call me Yoruichi."

Tatsuki took her hand, and was swiftly pulled up to her feet.  
"Yoruichi…" She murmured. "And you already know who I am, don't you?"

Yoruichi nodded.

"So… want to show me what I got wrong?" Tatsuki said hopefully.

"Just for a little bit," Yoruichi said, and shrugged.

* * *

There is usually a set number of first times in a boy's life, as he transitions from boy to young man. There is the first time you notice girls (or in some cases, other boys). There is the first time you try an alcoholic beverage. There is the first time you view porn, be it in the form of your father's dirty magazines, or on the internet. There is the first time you fall in love. There is the time when you first learn about human reproduction (which for Ichigo, having been born into the online generation, happened long before his parents thought to broach the subject). There is the first time your mother finds your sexy magazines in your room even though you could _swear_ you hid them perfectly.  
Teenage years are full of first times. It is an inescapable fact of life, because moving out of the naïve ignorance of childhood into the terrifying territory of adulthood makes for a lot of new experiences.

It was not a common first time, Ichigo suspected, for your mother to join you on a hunt for vicious, soul-eating monsters.

When Masaki had first suggested it, only hours ago after school had just ended, Ichigo had cringed a little, if only inwardly, for a variety of reasons. His mother, as much as he loved her, had a way of telling him what to do, almost dominant. Part of him had quite liked having this separate… thing going on with Erza, and adding his mother to it felt… weird. That, and there was a brutality to what he did that he'd rather she wouldn't see. In all likeliness she had seen worse, but that had not yet occurred to Ichigo.  
So when she had first suggested it, just as he and Erza were on their way out, Ichigo had cringed, kept his mouth shut, and quietly hoped Erza would use that authoritative voice of hers to say 'no, thank you'. But to his semi-horror, Erza had simply shrugged, nodded, and said a word or two of approval. His mother wanted to see how he was doing, the reasoning had gone, not that she doubted Erza's tutelage, no no, she was just concerned for her little boy (actual words used, and Ichigo's cringe had grown twofold when she said it), and the best way to know was to see for yourself. Besides, she was getting out of shape anyhow, and a run might be good for her. She wouldn't get in their way, just act like I'm not here…

At a loss for legitimate reasons to deny her- and he was fairly sure that "It's just weird, okay?" would not be considered legitimate, no matter how much he thought it was- they had headed out, all three. So far, it hadn't been all _that_ bad, although it was certainly distracting. Two hollows had been exterminated so far. In between speeding across the city at a considerably slower pace than usual, for his mothers' sake, who seemed to be a bit out of shape, she would drop optimistic, supportive comments that, despite their positive nature, did not do much to encourage Ichigo. He knew there was such a thing as backseat driving, but backseat slaying was an entirely new concept to him, and one that his mother sometimes veered dangerously close to. What was worse, Erza seemed to mostly agree with her- or not disagree hard enough to voice it.

Fortunately, their third target had seemed more powerful and dangerous than the previous two, and Erza had directly ordered him to speed up, instructing Masaki to catch up when she could. The idea of serious danger appealed to Ichigo, because hollows might try and tear you apart, eat your insides and gloat about it, but at least they didn't make you feel _awkward._

To his surprise, though, when he and Erza arrived, landing quite dramatically in the backyard of an industrial complex slated for demolition, the source of hollow reiatsu was gone. He could still sense its energy, although dissipating rapidly, so he was sure he was not mistaken. Confusedly, he looked around.

"What's going on?" He said, trying to sense for whatever might have caused this.

"I think I might have an idea," Erza murmured, nodding at a small building, just large enough to be some form of storage. On its roof, a white-clad figure stood, with a stern look on his face, black, straight hair framing his bespectacled face.

"Shinigami." He said, and Ichigo could see a white bow dissipating around his arm, the quincy cross hanging from his arm. "I've been watching you."

"Cousin Ishida. What a pleasant surprise." Ichigo said flatly, his voice lacking any kind of sincerity.

"I was afraid your clumsy methods might put people in harm's way." Ishida Uryu said, elegantly jumping down from the roof, and landing flawlessly on the ground. He was blood, Ichigo knew, but like a lot of family, also quite insufferable. "It is fortunate, I suppose, that you fell right into the lap of an experienced shinigami."

"Uh huh," Ichigo said. "Well, since you're already done here… hey Erza, wanna keep going?"

"Don't think I'll let you off so easily." Uryu said, and glared. "I have protected this town for years before you and your amateurish methods came along."

"Yeah, uh-huh," Ichigo said, and pointed with his thumb at Erza. "And she protected it since before you were in diapers. Your point being?"

"That-"

"You know," Erza said, interrupting him, "I really don't have time for this. If you two want to bark at each other like a couple of little puppies, do it on your own time." There was a thoughtful expression on her face. "Hmm… should we get a puppy?"

Ishida sneered,  
"This is the shinigami you apprentice under? No wonder-"

His teen tirade was cut short, as Masaki landed, not quite as gracefully, and a little short of breath. She took a few quick breaths, huffed, and then her face lit up as she saw Uryu. The boy's face, which had carried a very concentrated expression of superiority, quickly went into something far less dignified.

"Uryu!" She said cheerily, and walked up to him, giving him a hug. Uryu attempted to resist, but much like Ichigo, knew better than to try very hard.  
"How _are_ you these days?" She said cheerily, as she ended the embrace. "Are you doing well in school?"

"Y-yes, aunt," Uryu said, nearly stuttering. "It's-it's fine. I'm getting As in um, almost everything."

"Well, I'm sure your dad is very proud!" Masaki said, and without even realizing it, a smug grin formed on Ichigo's face as she ruffled his hair. "Are you eating properly, though? Look at you, you're practically a stick figure!"

"Yeah, Uryu, you look like a skeleton," Ichigo sniggered. "Eat a sandwich, why don't ya?"

"I'm fine, aunt," Uryu said, glaring daggers at Ichigo. "Really, I am."

"I keep telling you to come over for dinner," Masaki said enthusiastically. "When was the last time?"

"Er…" Uryu said. Ichigo remembered the last time, over a year ago; he had not exactly been sociable.

"We simply _must_ fix that," Masaki said enthusiastically.

"You know him?" Erza said. "I mean, I know you _know_ him, but…"

"Of course I do," Masaki said, nearly huffing. "I practice archery with him on Sundays. It wouldn't do to fall entirely out of practice, you know. You should see him, he's really talented!"

That much, Ichigo hadn't known, although it did explain the hours or so when she would go out. The quincy boy was practically blushing, and while his mother's positive comments had been torment when he was on the receiving end, the sadist in Ichigo found no sympathy whatsoever for Uryu.

"Yeah, wow," Ichigo said, laughter barely held back. "You sound really cool and talented, Uryu."

"Shut up!" Uryu snapped angrily. "You shut up, you-"

"That's no way to speak to family, Uryu," Masaki said strictly. Uryu glared at Ichigo one last time, then said,

"Yes, aunt. Of course."

"Ahem," Erza said, clearing her throat in the least subtle way possible. "We're out on patrol, Masaki. Remember how you said we wouldn't know you were there?"

"Oh, right, right," Masaki said. "Still, it's not every day you run into family. And look at him, protecting the city just like my Ichigo!"

This time Ichigo's snigger was loud enough to be heard, and Uryu's ears went a visible shade of red.

"Shut up-" he began, but Erza cut him off.

"Look," she said, "we don't have time for this… domestic stuff. We certainly don't have time for you two-" at this she nodded at Ichigo and Uryu, "-butting heads because of old grudges other people did, or because you're young, male and full of yourselves. You both fight hollows. You're on the same team."

"What?" Ichigo said innocently. "I haven't done anything."

"Kurosaki Ichigo, if you tell me this wouldn't have escalated if I hadn't been here, you are a dirty liar deserving of a beating," Erza said sternly.

"…you're right. Totally would." Ichigo mumbled.

"At least you respect your master," Uryu mumbled, putting a certain emphasis on the word 'master'.

"Hey!" Ichigo snarled, "You stuck-up little-"

"QUIET!" Erza called out. "This is _exactly_ what I'm talking about. Boys. Hormones. Utter idiocy. I swear to god, if I catch you two going at it even _once…_"

"Maybe we could work this out some other way?" Masaki said innocently. "Like you said, they are on the same team. They should work together."

The words 'hell, no' did not exit either Ichigo's nor Uryu's lips, but their faces said it well enough for them.

"What do you propose?" Erza said.

"A contest, perhaps?" Masaki said. "Whoever slays the more hollows win. Afterward, you shake hands."

"Not to rain on your parade, but hollows don't pop up at our convenience," Erza said. "In fact, we should be grateful they_don't_ pop up often enough that we can hold a contest on it."

"Oh, I think we have a way around that." Masaki said. "Uryu, you don't carry any hollow bait on you, do you?"

"…no." Uryu said, looking uncomfortable.

"Uryu?" Masaki said firmly.

"…yes." Uryu said quietly, his voice almost inaudible.

"Hollow bait?" Ichigo said.

"It's a spiritual cocktail that attracts hollows in their dozens, even hundreds, when activated," his mother explained. "Sounds perfect, no?"

"Wait, you carry around something like _that_?" Ichigo said, sounding alarmed. "What the hell for?"

"None of your business," Uryu growled.

"What were you going to do, activate it on purpose to prove a point on who's better?" Ichigo said. "That's freaking dangerous!"

"Now, Ichigo, it just happens to be what we need." Masaki said in a soothing voice. "Let's go somewhere with less people. Settle this part for good."

"I haven't agreed to that," Ichigo grumbled.

"You have now," Erza said, crossing her arms. "Not a bad idea. Challenging, direct training. I like it."

"…I don't get a vote, do I?" Uryu said glumly.

Ichigo looked him in the eye, and for the first time thus far, felt a pang of sympathy.  
"Don't look that way, cos. Let's get this over with."

* * *

In the distance, two figures watched- figuratively speaking, as they were too far away to see anything with the bare eye. Quietly, they followed, keeping far away from the vision of the two shinigami and two quincies. They said nothing to each other, only drinking in the sensation of volatile reiatsu breaking loose as the hollow bait was broken, setting loose dozens of hollows within a minute. Had these figures had any fear the situation would get out of hand, they would have soon been reassured by the swift action of the two young apprentices, one shinigami and one quincy, slaying one hollow after another with swift, unrelenting ease. But they knew no fear, and only listened, only sensed.

* * *

Erza had not been wrong, Ichigo had admitted to himself. Whether you acted like you were above it, like Uryu, or only pretended without much effort, like himself, there had been a lot of ego going on back there. It was strange, though, to turn from one pissing contest into another, much, _much_ larger one.  
Because this _sucked._ Even when the first hollows had appeared, after the hollow bait had cracked, it had become apparent that he had about a snowball's chance in hell of winning. At first, he had been enthusiastic, charging forward, cutting down four hollows in a matter of seconds. He had felt good about himself for a second or two, until he had seen the smug look on Uryu's face, as he fired his seventh arrow, each one having crushed the mask of a hollow with vicious accuracy. No matter how he tried, no matter how fast he pushed himself to hit and cut, Uryu had cut down twice as many already, and at this rate he was likely to kill three times what Ichigo could.  
A little voice in the back of Ichigo's head reminded him that he was cutting through hollows large and small, weak and strong, like a knife through hot butter and this was definitely a testament to his strength, a sign of how far he had come, that he should focus more on taking pride in what he actually could do rather than compare himself to his bitch of a cousin…

…but at the end of the day, Ichigo was a young man, stubborn and stupid, and patently refused to _not_ compare himself to Uryu, despite knowing that his second cousin in all likeliness had years of training that Ichigo did not. Growling irritably, he jumped through the air, raising his sword to carve through a hollow, only to find his blade cutting through thin air, as Uryu's arrow had hit home several seconds before Ichigo could connect. Under his breath, Ichigo swore, and Uryu smiled smugly.

"That's poor form, Uryu," Masaki chided him. "There is plenty for the both of you. Now, steady your arm… I think you might be firing just a little too quickly."

"Yes, aunt," Uryu said, keeping his tone neutral.

"Use your feet, Ichigo! Don't overwork yourself- just keep going, and try to anticipate where the next cluster of hollows will come!" Erza shouted loudly, so that Ichigo could hear where he was up in the sky.  
Portals would appear and close at random, but there seemed to be a set number. Seven usually, never more than nine. There was a pattern to it, Ichigo noticed- a few would open, a little larger than the other, instantly spilling out a huge pack of hollows, which would surely have scattered all over the place if they were not cut down so fast. Uryu's shots rang out, quick and precise, but not each one was an instant kill- hitting a speeding target from afar was still a challenge, it seemed, and some of the monsters were too tough to die instantly. Up close, though, Ichigo's blade was certainly at a disadvantage. Sensing a disturbance just close to him, Ichigo abandoned the fight he had charged toward at first, Uryu's arrow cutting down his intended prey just a second later. The blink of an eye later, a large portal opened, just by Ichigo's side. As hollows began spilling out, Ichigo cut down hard, sending himself into a spin, instantly killing nearly a dozen hollow, dozens more falling the coming seconds as they ran through a virtual meat grinder. After ten seconds or so the portal closed, and Ichigo found himself covered in gore and ichor, bits and pieces of hollows still in their death throes falling to the ground. _That_ ought to even the odds some!

Erza watched Ichigo's progress from afar. As she had expected, Uryu far outstripped him in this contest, his long range skills and superior experience reigning supreme in this situation. But even so, Ichigo was making him work for it, doing his best to anticipate where the hollows would come up. Up close, sensing the portals coming would be easier, even when your competitor was a quincy.

"Just like that!" She bellowed, putting a hand to her mouth, to carry the sound of her voice further. "No slacking off! Stop overextending, don't hit harder than you have to!"

She looked over to Masaki, who had a surprisingly pleased look on her face, something she never would have expected from the ex-quincy just a few weeks ago.

"So, what do you think?" Said Erza, keeping her voice neutral, but feeling slightly nervous. Masaki was her friend, Ichigo her responsibility, and to fail in either regard was something that would hurt.

"Look at him go, eh?" Masaki said thoughtfully, as she watched her son dash back and forth, his energy fluctuating wildly as he grew more tired. "Careful now, Uryu," she said, turning back to her nephew. "Clear, straight shots. You do not have to make that kind of effort, so missing has no excuse."  
He voice was oddly authoritative, Erza noticed, and she realized that as much as Masaki might have hated life at the quincy manor, perhaps she hadn't hated everything about _being _a quincy. She was weak, comparatively, being a full time mother and working a part time job, but Erza could tell she had once been quite good at it.

"Yeah," Erza murmured. "I did my best."

"And it's not bad." Masaki said, nodding. "He… is pretty good at it, isn't he?"

"Exceptional." Erza said firmly. "He's a stubborn student, and it took some punching to get through to him, but he's naturally talented. Were he in the academy, I have no doubt he would be slated to be an officer as soon as he graduated."

"That's… good, right?" Masaki said.

For a moment, Erza's eyes darkened.  
"In a way, yes."

Masaki smiled. "Well… I'm glad he's getting strong, at least."

"I, um," Erza said, feeling a little awkward, "I'm ah, a little… surprised?"

"What for? Straighten that arm, and breathe." She said, turning quickly to Uryu for just a second.

"Well… with how you were, you know, back before?" Erza said cautiously, not wanting to bring in any negativity. Things were going well, and the last she wanted to do was remind Masaki how much she had hated what happened to Ichigo in the first place. But it was a bit late to backtrack…

"Oh… that?" Masaki said, and shrugged. "It is what it is, I guess. What's done is done, and you have to adapt. Besides," she said, gesturing with her arm toward Ichigo, Uryu, and the rapidly dying hollows, "look at them. Working together. I'm here. You're here. It's been ages since we had a family gathering like this."

"…a family gathering based around exterminating monsters?" Erza said flatly.

"You take what you can when you're a mother," Masaki said, with a small smile. "Before you know it, they're all grown up, going to some university or other, and they have no time for mom and dad anymore."

"That's… one way of looking at it, I suppose." Erza said, not wanting to disagree, now that Masaki finally seemed on board. "HOLD IT PROPERLY!" She shouted at Ichigo again. "It's a sword, not a club- did I teach you nothing?!"

Quickly, and with a little bit of fright, Ichigo adjusted his stance.

The fight continued, for nearly two hours, and it was clear both boys were getting tired. Erza had to wonder just how potent that piece of hollow bait was. The tide of hollows sometimes waxed, sometimes waned, and she estimated they had to have killed hundreds. Ichigo had at this point cut through more hollows in an hour than he had his entire career so far.

"Just how long does this keep going?" Erza asked.

"It should end soon," Masaki assured her. "The bait uses certain energies to draw in hollows, and once they disperse, they will stop coming. You can't tell, but I can- it should be over soon."

Taking her word for it, Erza nodded. "Very well then. I think the two of them could use a rest-"

She cut herself short, as she felt the tremor. The portals had stopped appearing, and the two boys were catching their breath, both of them sweating. The last few pieces of hollows fell to the ground, quickly dissipating, and Ichigo and Uryu both looked relieved. But it wasn't over- there was a tremble in the air, a ripple as yet another portal begun to form, wide and huge, almost massive, well over ten yards across.

"What…" Masaki said, a nervous look on her face. Erza just kept quiet, sternly observing.

From out the portal, a bulky, four-legged, frog-like monstrosity heaved itself, radiating power well and far above that of the trash they had been exterminating. It was tall and large, at least ten feet high on all fours, and it looked at them with a malignant glare.

"Aunt Erza!" Ichigo called out, breathing heavily as he landed on the ground. "That- that thing is pretty fucking big!"

"What _is_ that?" Masaki said. "A menos?"

"No," Erza said, shaking her head. "Huge class. Old, powerful. Very dangerous. Well, relatively speaking."

"You have to step in!" Masaki said firmly. "This is too much for them to handle!"

The hollow was not moving just yet, standing still, looking toward the city, then to the four of them, then back.

"Is it?" Erza said. "You'll find that people can do quite a bit more than you think if you only push them."

"Why isn't it moving?" Ichigo said.

"It's afraid." Uryu said. "Most likely of miss Scarlet."

Erza nodded. "Most likely. It certainly wants a piece of the city, though." She looked at Ichigo and Uryu. "Go. That monster threatens your city and your homes. Defend it."

"You gotta be kidding me!" Ichigo said. "That thing is-"

"Huge." Erza said. "You're bigger. Go ahead and show it."

"It's going to be very resistant," Uryu said.

"Work together." Erza said firmly. "United we stand, and divided we fall. The two of you are family, and the sooner you start acting like it, the better it is for me, for Masaki, for everyone else- and right now, for the city."

"And if we can't do it?" Ichigo said. "I mean, big words are nice and all, but they don't win battles. We could lose."

"I am right here," Erza snapped. "No matter what, that thing will not escape. Now, if I have to tell you again to go _do your jobs,_ I will make you sorry you were born. GO!"

Knowing better than to argue, but still hesitant to act, Ichigo looked up at the creature.

"Cousin Kurosaki," Uryu said. "I… have a plan of attack."

"Let's hear it." Ichigo mumbled, any sense of hostility washed away by fear, threatening to rise up in his gut and overwhelm him. His aunt expected him to take on _that?_

"Charge right in. Distract it."

"Oh, brilliant- I'm bait," Ichigo murmured. "I can't even guarantee I'll be able to land a hit."

"You won't have to." Uryu said firmly. "If you distract it, I'll have a better shot. It shouldn't take me long to find vulnerable spots."

"If it has any," Ichigo murmured.

"Trust me, cousin," Uryu said, "there is no hollow that is invincible. Certainly not one of this caliber. Even if it takes a while, I know I'll be able to hurt it."

Ichigo hesitated, took a breath, and then nodded. "…all right then."

"Go." Uryu said.

Ichigo dashed away, up into the sky, and was surprised to see his cousin join him, sailing into the air on currents of reiatsu. "_Son of a bitch…_

Masaki anxiously watched the two of them charge, and took a startled breath, best described as a gasp, when Ichigo locked blades with the hollow. Bone met metal, and two reiatsu sources clashed, viciously struggling against each other. It was hard to see from down on the ground, but the energies painted a picture as clear as day.  
"It's too strong!" Masaki cried, grabbing at Erza's shoulder. "This is too dangerous, Erza!"

"No, and no." Erza said flatly. "You want to protect your son, and that's all right- but look past it. Who, between the two of them, is stronger? Feel it."

Strong as a wildfire, Ichigo's reiatsu blazed, wastefully and in excess. He was tired, but the body of a shinigami was durable, and he clashed with the hollow again and again, dodging one slash after another, parrying, striking, sometimes even driving it back.

"…it's still dangerous." Masaki mumbled.

"Of course." Erza said. "But this is nothing compared to what may come. He needs to learn, and learn fast."

There was a rapid change in energies as Uryu fired his first arrow. It glanced off the hard, scaly back of the monster. Rapidly, Uryu fired arrow after arrow, a dozen, two dozen, in a matter of seconds. It seemed wasteful, but there was a method to it. Few even hit, most glancing, but a few buried themselves deep in its skin.

"Come on, cousin!" Ichigo roared, just barely evading the hollow's claws, catching a powerful swing with his sword just in time. He could feel the sword, almost crying out in protest, as it strained against the monster's strength, and prayed he was strong enough. The monster was deceptively quick for its size, and its reach was long- so far he hadn't been able to get close.

Uryu did not respond verbally, but with an arrow, carefully drawn and empowered, slamming into the monster's shoulder. It roared and reeled, and Ichigo surged forward, adding four cuts to its chest, fast and hard. He dashed back, just in time to dodge its claws lashing out at him. He could feel the whiff of air as they missed, less than a centimeter from connecting. Tired and all, he felt the rush, the surge of adrenaline that came with such danger. It was an extreme, one he had started to enjoy far too much.  
Before he could lose himself in pondering, a second, third and fourth arrow slammed into the monster's neck line, each in a different spot. Ichigo could feel the monster's pain, reflected in the roar it let out, the reiatsu that it exuded, and something deep inside him felt a pang of sympathy. It hadn't chosen this, after all, hadn't chosen to become a cannibalistic monster…  
But it didn't stop him from surging forward, dodging under a wild claw sweep, and cutting into the monster's paw, lopping off three clawed fingers in a single fierce blow. Not content, he continued his charge, sliding under the monster's belly, cutting as he went. Hot, dark blood dripped onto his head and back as he opened up its belly, ichor spewing out copiously. The monster screamed again, quickly turning around and reaching with its good paw, but two more arrows slammed into its shoulder, and the monster's attack fell short, its arm going half limp, wincing lamely.

"Now, cousin!" Uryu cried out. Ichigo did not need to be told twice, and dashed back, slamming his sword against the hollow's mask. But the bone was thick and Ichigo's arm weary from two hours of intense fighting, and the sword bounced, leaving only a small crack. Jumping back, out of the hollow's striking range, he called,

"Damn it! It's no good, it's too thick!"

"Go again!" Uryu commanded.

"Didn't work the first time!" Ichigo said, drawing a couple of quick, deep breaths.

"I'll help! Just trust me on this one!" Uryu cried.

Muttering a curse under his breath, Ichigo charged forward, sword raised high. One arrow, two arrows struck the monster's mask, deep cracks appearing as Ichigo's blade came down. Smashing through it like a hammer going through china, Ichigo let out a loud battle-cry as his sword crushed the mask, cutting the hollow's head almost in half. The beast let out one final shriek, abruptly cut short as it began to evaporate, shattering into billions of tiny spirit particles into a matter of seconds. Ichigo breathed heavily, his shoulders heaving. He could feel his heart thumping, hammering like a piston, sweat and blood running down his forehead. It seemed he had got a small cut without noticing it, and it was somewhat miraculous that he had not been hurt worse.  
As he slowly descended toward the ground, towards his mother and his mentor, the adrenaline high slowly began to wear off. He felt like a million bucks at the moment, so _alive_, so strong and successful, although he knew there would be nausea coming before too long. Even so, even with the danger, with his cousin and that attitude problem of his, he felt satisfied. Who cared if he had won? They had just beat a huge hollow.  
As he landed he felt his knees almost giving in, and he slammed the tip of his blade into the ground, using it for support. This fight had taken more out of him than he had realized, and he needed a rest, badly. Even so, it was never done till Erza said so.

Uryu, of course, landed gracefully, although his white suit was stained by blood and dirt, and Ichigo noted with some satisfaction that he looked nearly as worn as Ichigo felt.

"It is done," His cousin said, attempting to carry himself with stoic dignity, but not quite succeeding.

"So I saw," Erza said, and nodded approvingly. "Took you long enough."

"You gotta be kidding me," Ichigo said, in between ragged breaths. "That thing was fucking crazy. The least I deserve is a pat on the back and hearing I did good, all right?"

"What do you want, a medal?" Erza said dismissively. "This trial will seem like nothing compared to what may come."

"Well, fuck me…" Ichigo groaned. "Permission to go home and pass out, sensei?"

Erza nodded, but was interrupted by Masaki, who practically slammed into Ichigo, catching him in a powerful hug.

"You did great," she whispered into his ear, a fearful relief in her voice. "You did great, Ichigo. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"…I'm fine." Ichigo said quietly, not letting his mother know that her affectionate hug had caused him quite a bit of pain. "I'm fine, mom. It's all right."

"So…" Uryu said. "I suppose I'll just-"

"You come here," Masaki said, almost tearfully, and let go of Ichigo- who felt enough relief to feel guilty- and went to give Uryu a hug, too. "Look at you boys, working together. You did great!"

"What are we, the Justice League?" Ichigo muttered, and glanced at Erza.

"You will work together when necessary." Erza said simply. "Your training is important, but the safety of the people in the city is even more important."

There was no room for disagreement in her voice, and Ichigo wouldn't have had the energy to protest anyhow. Exhaustedly, he simply shrugged. This was going to ache in the morning…

* * *

Two miles away, the two figures stood. It would have looked much better, objectively, if a strong breeze had made their cloaks flap in the wind, but you can't have everything. One was a blond man, looking young but with the eyes of an old man, wearing plate mail under a tabard with the insignia of the Knights of the Vanden. The second was a stern-looking Asian man, favouring a much lighter set of chain mail, wearing the insignia of his order at his sleeve rather than his chest. A neatly trimmed mustache framed his mouth and chin, his head was shaven save for a short tail at the back of his head, and he stared into the distance with a thoughtful expression.

"Lord Subutai, there really was no need for you to come all the way out here yourself." Haschwalt said, his tone mild, almost bemused.

"The same could be said for you, _Grand Master,_" Subutai said, keeping his eyes fixed on the horizon. They had both of them read the battle just concluding, drinking in each emission of spiritual energy, analyzing it quietly with the minds of trained warriors, foremost experts among their kin.

Haschwalt drew a sigh, and looked up at the sky.  
"I am not terribly similar to Paladin Bambietta,"

"You could say that. You could also say the sky is blue and the sea is wet." Subutai remarked dryly.

"-not terribly similar, but we share some core principles. Such as her belief that being cooped up in our castle, however magnificently built and hallowed, is not good in the long run. An errand like this is as good an excuse as any. You rarely go this far out though, Lord Commander. Not for two potentials."

"Potentials are rare these days." Subutai said. "As his majesty's first general, it is my responsibility to assess potentials- potential allies or enemies, who might bolster or threaten our cause."

Haschwalt nodded. "And what is your assessment?"

Subutai finally looked away from the horizon, and turned his sharp gaze to his companion. "Powerful. The quincy pureblood is naturally talented and has not let it go to waste. His lack of proper mentorship has left his skills unrefined, and his temper unstable, but he would be a worthy addition, should he join. Perhaps even capable of reaching the rank of paladin, with time."

Haschwalt nodded; he concurred with the Lord Commander's statement. "And the other?"

Subutai made a face. "The boy could certainly learn the arts, although he is utterly untrained. He wields the power of a shinigami- he is unlike any I have ever seen. He wields the skill of a wretched shinigami, yet has the affinity for our arts. More importantly he is powerful- and headstrong. His mentor is stronger yet, although she does not show it."

"So what will you tell our majesty?"

"What I just told you. And perhaps that killing them both might be advisable, as they are both headstrong and powerful."

"Absolutely not." Haschwalt said sharply. "We are _not_ like the dregs of the afterlife, murdering at our convenience." Subutai had not come from the upper class in Europe, like Haschwalt, and had far less appreciation for nobility and chivalry; his prime directive was victory and power.

"Yes, I expected you would say that." Subutai said, and shrugged. "There is no guarantee they will become our enemies, anyhow. They certainly have no reason to side with our ultimate enemy, nor do they have a stake in the conflict to come. Then again, there is no guarantee they won't."

"A river we will cross when we arrive there." Haschwalt said firmly.

"His majesty's decision, I believe." Subutai said, his tone neutral enough to border on apathy. "Regardless, our business here is concluded. Let us return."

"Quite, Lord Commander," Haschwalt said. He had seen these signatures years ago, when he had visited Japan to purge its pureblood radicals, and he had always wondered how they would turn out. Haschwalt was too old to be soft, but even so it excited him to see new potentials grow up and earn their strength, especially since new quincies were rare outside the Vanden.

He sincerely hoped he would not have to kill them.

* * *

**Yes, I figured it was about time to bring in Uryu. Been planning on it for a while now. Also, yes, the interaction he has with Ichigo will be a bit different here than the one in cannon now that they know their related. Thats not so say they wont still butt heads, as they did here, but it wont be as badly. I do hope you enjoy the new interactions.**

**Also, the Knights of Vanden have taken interest in the two of them. How and why is this? I'll leave that all up to your imagination.**

**Another thing of note, yes, Masaki has unfortunately gotten weaker. It was bound to happen, after all, she hasnt been active as a quincy for YEARS. That's going to make any human a bit weaker. **

**Also Yes, I DO plan on giving Tatsuki powers of some sort, and who better to train her than the CQC master of Bleach, Yoruichi! I always wanted her to have more of a focus in this story, and i figured she would make for a great mentor for Tatsuki. Expect more of them in the future.**

**Lastly lets talk about the recent bleach chapter we got.**

** Im SO happy to see Orihime stepping in and doing well against the fight with Ywatch. She's doing great so far. Granted, I would have liked her to get a real battle a bit sooner but fuck it, Ill take this. **

**I plan on using Orihime in a very similar fashion to what we see in the current fight, with a bit more offense added to it. **

**As for Ichigos new transformation, I really like it, it reminds me of Tensa zangetsu when he fused with the hollow. Very fitting. Dont expect to see it in this story though. My cowriter isnt a fan of Ichigo and his various power ups, and besides all that, ERZA is our main character, not him.**

**Speaking of which, I know it looks like Erza herself has taken a bit of a back seat for a while, but dont worry, that will end soon enough, I just figured it was important to focus on our cannon protagonist a little bit before we get to soul society. Once that happens, the focus will probably be 50% Erza, 30% Ichigo. 10% on Ichigos friends and 10% Momo. I believe this is for the best personally.**

**Anyways, I thank you all for reading this chapter, I hope it satisfied you enough. If you have any comments on it, feel free to leave them in the form of a review. Dosnt matter if its positive or negative, im willing to listen.**


	30. Justice in the Library

**We have another chapter for you guys. This one will be the begining of a rather significant change to the series, one I think you'll all enjoy.**

**Please leave any comments and criticism in the form of a review. We don't care if its positive or negative, We would really like to hear about how we handled this part of the series.**

**Thank you once again Greatkingrat88.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

It was early Saturday, and Ichigo was just about ready for his daily spar. Early, of course, meant 'so early that you weren't sure if it was actually just very late'. Ichigo had considered complaining about it, appealing to the common sense that if Saturdays were for anything, they were for sleeping in. Then he had decided he would rather not get a particularly savage beating, and kept his mouth shut.  
So there it was, the crack of dawn just having passed them- not that either could tell; the basement was in a state of constant daylight, as far as he could tell- his sword hanging over his back, just waiting for his aunt to draw hers so they could go through all the ways in which he was insufficient. Innumerable, he was sure.

Erza walked up to him, standing at about two sword's length from him.

"So what are we doing today?" Ichigo said. "Swords again? Hand-to-hand? Reiatsu?" He fervently hoped it was not the last one. He had some instinctive grasp on the subject, but understanding it and making it work was utterly obnoxious.

"No," Erza said, shaking her head. "Today will be different. Theory."

"Oh, thank goodness," Ichigo murmured. He didn't mind the spars, not like he had when they first started, but a morning of _not_ having your teeth kicked in by your god-like aunt was a nice change of pace.

Erza gave him a look. "We'll move back to physical later," she said, managing to make it sound like a threat. "For now, you must learn about the most essential thing of shinigami-hood."

"Yeah?" Ichigo said, and nodded. He couldn't act like he wasn't a little excited; the very concept of shinigami was mystifying, intriguing, a great big secret finally looking to be unraveled just a little.

Erza pulled her sword out and held it straight at him, the point stopping just an inch short of his nose, which, to Ichigo, was an inch or two too close.  
"What do you see?" she asked.

"A pointy metal object that could poke my eye out," Ichigo said, his tone a mixture of snide and a little agitated.

"What do you see?" Erza repeated, and Ichigo knew he could only push his luck so far.

"A sword." He said irritably. "A sword, all right? Zanpakutou."

"You see, and you don't see."

"Aunt, don't be cryptic." Ichigo shot back. "You're really good at scaring people, and kicking ass, but you're really bad at being mysterious and wise."

"I could still flatten your nose." Erza said sharply.

"See? That's more like it."

Erza shot him a glare. "This," she said, drawing the sword back, and holding it straight up, "is the zanpakutou. The shinigami's sword, her tool to purify wicked souls. This much, you know."

"Uh huh," Ichigo said. "Please flatten my nose or tell me what's special about it."

"Oh believe me…" Erza muttered. "The zanpakutou is not just a sword, but a piece of a shinigami's soul."

Now _this_ was more like it.

"When we attend academy, a blank zanpakutou, called an _Asauchi._ As we learn the arts of shinigami, we shape it and it shapes us. And once we have enough skill… we learn what its name is."

"You go around naming all of the swords once you graduate, or something? Like a tradition?"

Erza shook her head.  
"The swords name themselves. They are alive, Ichigo. Every zanpakutou has a spirit, a name, and a special ability. It is a mark of skill to earn the right to know the name of your blade, and to synchronize with its personality and unlock more and more of its power. Many shinigami never get this far, remaining low-ranked and weak. This is what you must do one day, Ichigo- to find a zanpakutou of your own, and learn its name."

A number of weeks ago, Ichigo would have blinked with surprise, confusion and lack of understanding. Right now, he nodded.  
"Names. Spirits. Personalities of their own." He stared into space thoughtfully. "Do these things… talk to you? Like voices in your head?"

"Sometimes they never shut up." Erza said with a hint of distaste. "They usually give you a hard time until you get to know what they want."

"You speak from experience, huh? So… what's yours called?"

"This is _Tetsu no Tama_," Erza said proudly. "I have progressed far down the path of harmony between weapon and user. Allow me to show you- I will make him manifest."

Ichigo watched with anticipation. Nothing happened for a few seconds. Then, Erza glared at the sword. The sword remained contemptuously inactive. Then she shook it, muttering under her breath.

"Come out, you stubborn…" she growled. "Come on, come on! It's just a demonstration- _no I will not accept that sort of language_, you arrogant little-"

For some time she stood there, arguing with seemingly nothing, and Ichigo started to feel awkward.

"Look, mister, you are coming out here _right now_ or I am not talking to you for a whole month! Oh yes I _would_ do that! Read my mind- where you _live,_ mind you! Without paying rent, like a freeloader! Get out here, NOW!"

Just as Ichigo had started to nurture the growing suspicion that his aunt was actually a paranoid psychotic, there was a faint glow, and a tall man materialized next to her. He had blond, spiky hair, which flew in the face of gravity by standing upright, and wore what looked like a set of golden full plate mail, in western style, with a velvet red cape extending down from his waistline. He looked haughty, like an avatar of arrogance, and looked at Ichigo like he was an ant.  
Ichigo had learned to take things in stride. The absurd had become the norm. But there were some things that were just too much, and that included gaudy, glimmering men appearing out of nowhere.

"What _are_ you?" Ichigo breathed, almost in awe of the sheer absurdity of the spectacle.

"I am Tetsu no Tama, peasant," the zanpakutou sneered. "Made manifest on the command of my fool master, who insists on using me like some spectacle for school children, rather than for noble combat, which is _what I am intended for,_ thank you very much!"

"You know, I give and give and give, and it's never enough," Erza said, shooting the man a glare, although her tone suggested she wasn't nearly as upset as one might think.

"Well, I can relate to that." Ichigo mumbled. "But… wow. This guy."

"You may bask in my glory." The zanpakutou said, without a trace of irony.

"He looks like the living incarnation of a pride parade float." Ichigo said, feeling a snicker building in his chest. "He looks like a fashion designer went insane and threw something together at the last moment before he was shipped to the asylum! He looks like a Fate Stay Night cosplayer threw up on a super saiyan! He looks like-"

"Silence, mongrel!" The zanpakutou sneered, and backhanded him across the face. "This is for what you bring me, master?"

Ichigo reeled back, feeling the sting of the slap, but couldn't help himself from sniggering nonetheless.  
"So um," he said, "this… is your sword?"

"The spirit of my zanpakutou made manifest." Erza said firmly. "No two are alike. Tetsu no Tama drives me to be the best I can be, and asks the highest he can. As long as I perform, then in return I am granted his power."

"As well it should be." The zanpakutou said, looking at Ichigo like he was something you scrape off the sole of your shoes. "Need I stay in the presence of this low-born scum, master? His presence fills me with even more disgust than usual."

"Charmer." Ichigo said dryly.

"He is… difficult." Erza admitted. "But it is through him and only him I have come as far as I have. The relationship between us is a partnership, as it should be for everyone. Your zanpakutou is not your slave, your pet or your servant, but a partner and friend."

"Which is why I call her 'master', as friends and partner usually do." Tetsu no Tama said, and Ichigo noticed that he was not above having a sense of humor.

"We also do not always agree," Erza said through her teeth. "You are dismissed for now, my sword."

"At last," the zanpakutou said, shooting Ichigo one last death glare before dissipating, seemingly into nothingness.

"So… that was an experience." Ichigo mumbled. "Are all of them that…" He stopped, trying to think of an adjective that wasn't too insulting, and came out short.

Erza shook her head. "No. They are all different. Most of them take after their masters, representing an aspect of their personality."

Ichigo nodded, almost excitably. As toxic as the spirit had been, this was still fascinating knowledge. "So, you mentioned special abilities?"

"Yes. As zanpakutou and shinigami bond and progress, as you learn its name, you unlock the first stage of power. It is called_shikai_, and once you know the name of your blade, it will permit you to use its unique power. No two are alike. Mostly."

"What's yours?" Ichigo said, restraining himself a little, so as to not sound too excitable.

"It's not very fancy, despite what impression he might have given you." Erza said, and held the sword out. "You activate it by command. I have come far enough that I can do it by will alone, but I will show you. Strike, Tetsu no Tama."  
There was a faint pulse of energy, but the sword looked much the same.

"Is… is it working properly?" Ichigo asked.

"It is not immediately apparent. I will demonstrate."

Suddenly, she was holding two long, sleek katana, one in each hand.  
"Balance." She declared. "That is the name of this set. Speed, power, efficiency." The swords shimmered, disappeared, and a vicious-looking, sizeable bearded axe, its blade a vicious dark grey, thick and heavy.  
"Breaker." She declared. "To put your strength into destroying what comes in your way."

Ichigo gave a whistle. "So you can change this into anything you like?"

"No," Erza said, shaking her head. "I have a limited arsenal." The axe shimmered, and dissipated. "The next one, you have seen before. Render."  
The weapon reformed, in the shape of a huge, thick blade, as long as Erza herself. It was too large and blunt to really be called a sword, but Erza held it over her shoulder seemingly effortlessly.

"Yeah, that heavy thing…" Ichigo mumbled, remembering its weight on top of Erza back when he had first done those pushups. "It looks nasty. And really um, heavy."

"A zanpakutou is nearly weightless. Yet, this thing puts a drain on my reiatsu, and expends a lot of it in its blade. It is heavy to use, but terrifyingly strong." The zanpakutou shifted again, now taking the form of a shield and spear. It was an elegant look for her, rather like Pallas Athena, Ichigo thought.  
"Sentinel. Defense and offense combined."

"Got any more?" Ichigo said, unable to hide all the excitement this time.

"No, that is all. So far, at least," Erza said, and shrugged, as the sword returned to its original form.

"So… I get my own, learn its name, and I can do… something like that?" Ichigo said.

"Yes. But that is not all."

"There's more?"

"The bond between shinigami and zanpakutou is paramount," Erza explained, her voice serious and firm. "It takes not only energy to bond with it, but affinity. It is a learned skill. Some pick it up fast, other slower. It took me years to learn the name of mine. Many do not learn it at all. But there is one thing past _shikai,_ Ichigo."

"What's that?"

"Bankai. The final stage of synchronization between weapon and shinigami. It represents the most absolute power and finesse any shinigami could aspire to."

"Huh." Ichigo said, a little dumbstruck. There was something in the voice of his aunt, wistful and serious, as if remembering days past.

"I will put it like this: There are billions of souls in the Soul Society. Out of them, a fraction have more than minimal spiritual power. Out of _these_ people, only a handful have the skill to become shinigami. Out of this distilled elite of the powerful and skilled, a few have the skill, power and patience to become officers. Among the officers, a handful have the potential to develop bankai. To own one is to become part of the absolute elite. To develop one is, in the grand perspective, legendary. It is the _absolute pinnacle_ of shinigami excellence."

"…do you have one?" Ichigo asked, his mind ablaze with visions of excellent shinigami, the crème-de-la-créme of the highest society, having developed their skills the furthest possible.

She simply nodded.  
"I do."

Ichigo gave a whistle. He knew his aunt was a big shot, but he had never imagined this.

"It takes a total of ten years minimum to achieve it, if you have the skill," Erza said. "Another ten to master it. Today, I know of only thirteen individuals capable of it, myself not included- the captains of the Gotei thirteen. To have one is a necessity for the highest rank of office."

"That's… something."

"I believe one day, you can develop one of your own." Erza said bluntly. "It is a hell of a thing to heap onto a fledgling shinigami, but I do. You are strong and you are skilled. Just don't let that go to your head."

"If I did, I reckon you'd beat me senseless," Ichigo shot back. "But… you really think I can?"

"Decades from now, but yes." Erza said. "I may have said too much- but it is what I believe."

"Well…" Ichigo muttered. Him, rising to the highest level? A legend? That was… well, it would probably be huge if he had any idea what the scales looked like. Still. Cool. Pretty cool. Right?

"Come." Erza said. "Training. The road to greatness is taken one step at a time. If you call that a platitude, I am going to knock one of your molars out."

"…yes, sir." Ichigo said, feeling a little overwhelmed. The highest height…

He couldn't deny it sounded appealing.

* * *

Tatsuki had had a good instructor. Great, even. For over five years, he had taught her, directed her, melded her and turned her from potential into a tournament-winning champion. He was an excellent karate practitioner, always able to show her some way she could improve.  
And he was nothing compared to the enigmatic, grinning woman known as Yoruichi. It was hard to get over, really, how huge of a gap there was between a skilled veteran of karate and what was, functionally, a goddess of martial arts. She slowed herself for Tatsuki's sake, she could tell, and even then she was incredible. Every movement was smooth, calculated carefully in an instant, no energy wasted on imperfections. Or well, it might well have flaws, but if there were, then they existed on a level she could not even come close to reading. It was a privilege to spar with her, as she had done about four times so far. She could switch her style at the drop of a hat, seamlessly switching from offense to defense, from karate to judo to ju-jutsu, to foreign arts like Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, or even the ruthless, unrefined Krav Maga, each one re-appropriated to suit her perfectly.  
Tatsuki took all of it in as best she could, drinking deep gulps from the painful chalice of knowledge. She took a few knocks here and there for it, which suited her just fine- no pain, no gain.

It was all kicks, punches, jabs, always at a speed she couldn't really handle. There was no time to think, only to react- if even that. Yoruichi was skilled, but not necessarily very pedagogical.

"All right, all right," Tatsuki said, taking a few steps back, her breath ragged, "break. Break! I need, ah, I need five…"

"Already?" Yoruichi said, a small smirk plastered on her face as usual. "Humans wear out so quick."

"Well, sorry for not being born into being some sort of demi-god," Tatsuki muttered, forcing herself to stay on foot.

"Death-god," Yoruichi corrected her.

"Yeah, whatever," she grumbled. "You used to be human too, didn't you? Isn't that how it works?"

"For most people," Yoruichi said cryptically. She was good at cryptic. Sometimes, Tatsuki suspected her mind built little crypts for her thoughts to live in.

"What, don't tell me there are people actually getting born _inside the afterlife_," Tatsuki said, somewhat in disbelief, although only as much as her sweaty, raggedly breathing body allowed.

"We're not all the same."

"You're kidding me." Tatsuki said flatly.

"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not."

"Did anybody ever call you a troll?" Tatsuki said, only half sourly. "Because you are."

"In the sense of living under bridges, being made of rocks and eating people, or posting inflammatory comments on online forums?" Yoruichi said, displaying a shocking level of knowledge of modern technology and culture.

"…forget it." Tatsuki mumbled. Yoruichi laughed, once again walking the line just short of being irritating.  
"But…" she continued thoughtfully, "I'm really learning a lot here. It hurts and it's exhausting, but… I'm stronger. Faster."

"Or it's mostly in your head." Yoruichi said light-heartedly, and once again Tatsuki couldn't be sure if she was making fun or not.

"I want you to teach me." Tatsuki said firmly.

"What have we been doing so far, then?" Yoruichi said, and this time she was sure it was sarcasm. Mostly.

"Not just sparring," Tatsuki said, shaking her head. "I want to learn everything you can teach me. Could you… could you please be my sensei, miss Yoruichi?"  
She drew a sharp breath as she finished the words, feeling a sense of anxiousness and nervousness rising in her gut. She had asked, really asked, and she couldn't be sure if she had overstepped her bounds or not. Her saying yes would be brilliance. Her saying no, maybe even cancelling these spars because she thought Tatsuki was getting clingy, would be a terrible loss.

"…you want me to teach you." Her voice was flat, but Tatsuki thought she could hear the faintest bit of surprise.

"Yes!" Tatsuki said firmly. She had already taken the plunge; might as well go all out. "You're amazing- I've never seen _anyone_ like you. I need somebody to teach me all of this, or I'll never catch up to Ichigo."

"Even when I can't magically give you powers like his?" She sounded apprehensive, evasive even.

"You have to start somewhere." Tatsuki said resolutely. "I'm not going to catch up by sitting on my ass. I need you. You're good at this. So…"  
Desperately, she let her plea hang in the air, unspoken but thunderously loud, and every passing moment felt like a free fall off a cliff.

"I don't think I would be a very good teacher." Yoruichi said, and the mirth was gone from her voice.

"I disagree!" Tatsuki said emphatically. "Just sparring with you, I am learning so, so much, like… you don't even know. Well, except you probably do, but you know! What I mean, that is. Er…"  
_Stellar work, Tatsuki_ she thought to herself. _With arguments like those, of **course** she'll be convinced._

"I was shinigami once, you guessed that much." Yoruichi said, looking Tatsuki in the eyes.

"Yeah," Tatsuki said, nodding energetically.

"I wasn't just any shinigami. I was a leader. Nobility. Born into great privilege, power and responsibility, things that suited me way better than I ever liked. You see, I was good at what I did, but I had no passion for it. I'd rather have stayed in bed with a book all day if I could. Or a lover. I took all of one apprentices in all my time."

"That's… something." Tatsuki said, not sure what the appropriate reaction to this was.

Her tone quite serious, Yoruichi fixed her gaze on Tatsuki.  
"One apprentice. I failed her, and very badly at that. I may be able to teach you technical know-how, form, skill… but I don't think you can trust me to be what a sensei should be. I am not a reliable person."

It was strange, hearing her say such self-deprecating things. She was not flippant or coy, nor was there any self-loathing in her voice; it was simply a neutral, factual statement.  
But more importantly, Tatsuki noticed, she had not said no yet.

"Hey, that's fine," she said eagerly. "You're up front about what I can expect. I can deal with that. No matter how it turns out, I can only get better." She stared back at Yoruichi, her own eyes filled with determination.  
"I need this. I can't spend my life being protected. I need to be my own. You can help me do that."

Something passed across Yoruichi's face, an odd look- almost wistful, almost impressed, almost appreciative, and entirely impossible to read with accuracy.

"…see you later." She said simply, and turned around and walked.

"Hey, wait!" Tatsuki cried. "You have to listen-"

But in a blur, Yoruichi was gone, as if vanished. Only the sight of her exiting the basement up the stairs let Tatsuki realize she had not magically disappeared. Sighing frustratedly, Tatsuki stamped her foot into the ground. Well, it looked like she had messed up now…

* * *

It was late evening, and Erza had ordered some take-out for supper. Not that she couldn't cook, but between knocking Ichigo around all day, having a job to attend, and looking after Orihime, her life could be quite draining. Some people were naturally good at domestic things; to Erza it was a forcefully learned skill that sometimes meant not cooking for yourself because you were left tired. Orihime didn't mind, naturally, as the two of them chowed down their chicken noodle wok.

"So, how is school going?" Erza asked, in between mouthfuls. "Are your grades coming in soon?"

"I'm fifth ranked in my class," Orihime said cheerily. Goofy and ditzy as she was, she was also deceivingly intelligent. "I climbed up two ranks since last. Pretty neat."  
She said it like it were no big deal, because while most student were all but crushed under the weight of expectation, Orihime couldn't care less. She did her best, and didn't let the pressure get to her. Erza admired that in her, and felt some measure of pride knowing she had contributed to it.

"That's good, that's good," Erza said, and nodded. "Any boys I should worry about?"  
The subject always was a bit awkward to broach, mostly because Erza had little experience- meaning, none at all- with the subjects of love, romance or sex. Not that there weren't proposals, decent or indecent, but she had never really felt the need, nor had much time for anything like it. Orihime seemed to attract suitors like flies to sugar, particularly since her chest had grown out, and Erza had done her best to amplify her fearsome reputation- she was not a sexist or anything, but teenage boys full of hormones they hadn't learned to control could get up to all sorts of funny business. Besides, it came with mothering. Or something.

"Oh, none at all," Orihime said cheerily, once again demonstrating her selective obliviousness to the world around her. "Everyone's just really nice."

"That's good," Erza said, and nodded. Part of her knew that at some point, she probably would get a boyfriend, and that would be that, but she would make damn sure it was somebody decent, 'damn sure' meaning threats, violence and intimidation. She might not understand romance very well, but she understood fear.  
Which only went to show that neither of them were especially less oblivious than the other.

They ate in silence for a while, before Orihime asked,  
"So how is Ichigo doing?"

"He's coming along," Erza said, feeling a bit more enthusiastic. Domestic issues were a pain to understand, training less so. "He's good. Unrefined and needing discipline, but good."

"So he'll be able to protect all of us," Orihime said thoughtfully. This should have set off some warning bells in Erza's head, but enthusiastically, she continued her description.

"Oh yes. Give me a few years, and I'll have him at the skill of a basic shinigami. Once he learns to control his power, we'll-"

"I want to help too." Orihime said firmly, and Erza stopped herself immediately. Oh, crud- _this_ discussion again.

"You know that-" She began, but determinedly, Orihime cut her off.

"I can't just stand by and let everyone else do all the work, you know. I heard I should have power, too- so I should make something of it. To help. I don't want to be somebody's dead weight."

"You're _never_ dead weight," Erza said sharply.

"If he's pulling the load by himself, then I think I am. He's a human who became a shinigami. There are humans called quincies with power. If they can do it, then so could I."

"You don't understand," Erza said firmly, fighting to keep a rational perspective on this. Just saying 'no, because I said so' would only make her more determined. "You haven't seen what I've seen. You don't know how dangerous it is, what kind of people could come looking for you. Just trust me on this, please-"

"You're fine doing that to _him,_" Orihime said stubbornly. "You of all people should know it's stupid to treat me like I'm weaker because… I'm a girl, or something."

"I'm treating you like somebody weaker because you are weaker." Erza said bluntly. "You don't have a fraction of his strength or potential, and that's a fact. There's no shame in not being born into power. Let it go."

The words were hard, a dampener on anybody's spirit, but Orihime's spirit was unbroken.  
"You could train me," she insisted. "You're way more experienced than anybody else. Train me like you train him. Teach me how to fight, just so I can defend myself."

"You wouldn't survive." Erza said, and if it were possible, her voice grew even blunter. "My lowest level of strength is so far above yours, I don't see the point. I don't know how to grow somebody's power. I only know how to develop what's already there. Orihime, _I can't help you_, and you're better off letting go."  
Erza took a breath, hoping she hadn't been too harsh.

"…I still think I should learn to fight." Orihime mumbled, and her dejected tone made Erza feel like she had just been stabbed. "It's not fair. I should be able to help him."

"Please, just… let it go. You're better off staying out of this." Erza murmured. She was sure she was right, but somehow, this did not stop her from feeling like the earth's biggest bastard who ate bastard pie for supper with a side helping of bastard sauce.  
They ate the rest of their meal in silence. When they were done, Orihime left for her room, without so much as a word. Quietly, in frustration, Erza made a fist. She just wanted her to be safe.

* * *

Orihime had most certainly been somewhat dejected by last night's argument, but she was possessed of a cheer and optimism that surpassed that of all of her friends, and as such it was with cheer that she opened the door as it rang that morning, just after breakfast.

"Hell-loo!" She said loudly, as she opened the door. It was Ichigo and Rukia, the former scowling even more firmly than usual, and the latter with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Yo." Ichigo said, and his tone matched his face. "I've got about… five minutes before aunt Erza expects me down at that basement, so I thought I'd dump this midget here with you."

"Oh Ichigo, I'm sure you could perform just fine with me watching," Rukia said with a snigger. "If you happen to fall flat, don't worry- it's perfectly normal, and can happen to just any shinigami."

"See the crap I have to put up with?" Ichigo said flatly. "A century and a half old, she claims, and she still acts like a teenager."

"Not growing up is the greatest advantage of immortality," Rukia said, nodding sapiently. "Besides, you make it so _easy_."

Orihime realized that this was probably one of those things that sailed over her head, because she couldn't quite see what was wrong with what either of them were doing, or why it should annoy them. As far as she was concerned, it seemed like the two of them were enjoying each other's company- albeit in their own particular way.  
"Well, you can't keep Erza waiting!" She said cheerily. "Oh and, it's so nice to see you both. I'm glad to see you're getting along so well."

"Getting along. Right." Ichigo said flatly. "I'm dumping her with you. You take her out. Go to a library. Get her to read some history or some crap like that, so she can actually pass for a human being, and not some sort of weirdo oddball freak."

"I take offense to that!" Rukia said sharply. "I can _certainly _pass for a human being!"

"Quick, who was the first man on the moon?" Ichigo said. "Who assassinated president Kennedy? What was the cold war? Who unified Japan?"

"Trivia," Rukia said dismissively. "I don't have to actually _be_convincing so long as I _seem_ convincing."

"That makes no sense." Ichigo said plainly.

"To a plebe like yourself." Rukia said haughtily.

"Well, I love libraries," Orihime said, chipper. "They all have this amazing smell, like all of that knowledge is just seeping out of the cracks, forming together, morphing into a giant blob of knowledge-y-ness in the air…"

"Loads of paper stacked does that." Ichigo said dryly. "Anyhow, if I'm late, Erza will beat my ass even harder, so… you two play nice. Do that female bonding thing, or some crap."

Rukia, the pinnacle of maturity, stuck her tongue out, as Ichigo wordlessly turned and left.

"So," Rukia said, "libraries, eh?"

"I'll teach you all about human history!" Orihime said. "Just let me get my jacket. Um, wait, it's actually summer… no jacket, then!"

"May want to get shoes," Rukia remarked.

"Ah, yes, those are useful," Orihime said, acting like she hadn't forgotten. "Now, the best place to start is at the beginning. Scientists estimate that two hundred thousand years ago, plus minus twenty thousand odd years, the first _homo sapiens _emerged on the plains of Africa, presumably after wrestling a bunch of cyborg monkeys to death because evolution is hardcore like that, and…"  
So Orihime launched into a brief history of mankind, half scientifically accurate and half laced with gratuitous robots, because history wasn't worth telling unless it involved carnivorous mechanical monstrosities from Mars, or Venus, or maybe even Jupiter.

The two of them made their way to the Karakura library, Orihime doing most of the talking, while Rukia kept an amused smile at her antics. Chizuru joined them on the way, insisting that she too loved libraries, especially of Orihime did so. She was a kind and affectionate person, Orihime had noted, one that wasn't afraid of physical contact. She wished more people were like her- the world would be a better place if people would just hug more. Granted, Chizuru was a bit odd about it, but Orihime was not one to judge.  
(Unbeknownst to Orihime, Erza had had a talk with the young, red-headed lesbian- mostly about lines and how some of them were not to be crossed on penalty of having a fist shoved down your throat by a larger, angrier redhead. This had held Chizuru back, but only to a bare minimum.)

"So," Rukia said, idly flipping through the pages of a history book, "Tokugawa Ieyasu unites the country, but only after Nobunaga and Hideyoshi do most of the work for him, and then there's an emperor but he's not _really_ in charge, and there's a whole lot of murder, backstabbing, intrigue and war leading up to this… and this is the history the Japanese are proud of?"

"Yup!" Orihime said cheerily, seated on a library couch opposite to Rukia.

"Every human history is grimy and dark, really," Chizuru said dismissively. Sitting next to Orihime was nice, but it was hot in here- literally, not in the good way, and she was starting to question whether it was worth it coming here. "I don't think you can go anywhere on earth without finding a story of king so-and-so betraying lord this-and-that and killing his entire family and ruling like a dictator."

"Fascinating." Rukia said dryly. Muttering, she continued, "With what I know about the afterlife, I'm starting to feel like that 'Game of Drones' series is more of a documentary than fiction…"

"Thrones, Rukia," Orihime said cheerily.

"Yeah, yeah," she murmured. Even so, it _was_ rather fascinating to learn. Human history was complex and, somewhat surprisingly, strikingly similar to what she knew of the Gotei. It shouldn't be, she supposed, but it was all too easy to think of shinigami as somehow above humans…  
"So this Hattori Hanzo fellow-"  
Her train of thought was cut short, as she felt the familiar rumble, the sense of wrongness as reality ripped and tore. She was weak, nearly powerless still, but it was unmistakable. A hollow had manifested- inside the building.

"Orihime!" She said sharply.

"I know," The girl said, nodding affirmatively with a determined look on her face.

"We have to get out of here," Rukia said.

"Well, that's sudden," Chizuru said leisurely. "But I guess there are better places to spend a Sunday than your local library."  
That was right, Rukia realized- she was a normal human, not in the know.

"We can't go yet." Orihime said. "There's a lot of people here. We can't just… run and leave them to their fates."

Rukia groaned. Orihime was young, sweet, and worst of all, moral. She hadn't had the training of a soldier, hadn't learned the important realization that sometimes, you had to just retreat because dying helped nobody.  
"There's no time!" Rukia insisted.

"Go hit the fire alarm. It'll get people out." Orihime said. "Erza's not far away. She'll sense it, and she'll come. We just need a few minutes."

"We may not have a few minutes!" Rukia said.

"Can somebody explain what's going on?" Chizuru said confusedly.

Rukia turned to look at her. There was no time for this.  
"Chizuru, do as we say and I'll let you fondle me." She said bluntly.

"Well!" Chizuru said, snapping to attention. "Aggressive. I like it."

Naturally, she would never have to make good on that promise- she still had the memory-altering device.

"Fire alarm. Now. I'll distract it." Orihime said. Without waiting for Rukia, she hurried off, toward the source of reiatsu. Rukia blinked. She had sensed it without even thinking, and run off doing even less thinking. She noticed Chizuru looking at her hopefully, groaned, and hurried to find a fire alarm- whatever that was.

Determinedly, Orihime ran toward the energy. It wasn't hard to find, but it was odd how clearly she could feel it- then again, the bookcase being knocked over was a pretty good tell. Turning around a corner, Orihime saw it. The library was spacious, its roofs tall, leaving plenty of room. The hollow, though, was a fair bit smaller than any of the ones she had seen before, and quite different in shape. Essentially, it was a mask, thick, large and round, and a mass of short, stubby tentacles attached to it. Its mask had a beak-like protrusion, and its eyes glowed a malevolent yellow. Its tendrils had already wrapped around three people, whose eyes were going blank, when Orihime put her hands to her mouth, and cried,  
"Hey, you! The big, ugly one!"

The monster turned to look at her, like a wolf that only just spotted a juicy leg of lamb.

"Yes, you!" Orihime cried, her mind working overtime. 'Distract it' sounded so simple in theory, but she really had no idea how to do it without getting killed. Improvisation, luckily, was one of her strong suits.  
"I'm right here! And I'm like, _way_ juicier than they are!"

"I won't deny that…" The hollow said, its voice a perverse cackle. "I do not know what game you play, human, but I'll take you up on it. I'll make you scream."  
The tendrils loosened, but the people it had grabbed still looked dead in the eyes, like zombies, and Orihime could see some sort of parasitic growths attached to each one of them. Not waiting for the hollow to charge, she turned her back and ran. Behind her, she could her the rumbling of a bookcase being knocked over, as the hollow gave chase. Inwardly thankful that she kept fit, Orihime ran as fast as her feet could carry her, feeling one of the tentacles grazing against the back of her head. As she ran, she heard the fire alarm go off, and saw people running toward the exits. Well, so far, so good!  
That, however, is a phrase anybody should be wary of uttering. Feeling a tentacle swiping at her, Orihime threw herself forward, managing a clumsy action roll, just barely getting to her feet, running toward the exit. Where the hell was Erza? Come on!

Then, as she ran, she felt a tentacle wrap around her wrist. Quickly she twisted, pulled hard, and managed to break free before it got hold of her, but lost her balance and tumbled across the floor. From behind a nearby bookcase, Rukia poked her head out, followed by Chizuru.

"Orihime!" She cried.

"Would you look at that," the hollow said gleefully. "Two juicy meals. And an aperitif!"

"You're not so tough!" Orihime insisted, ignoring a pain in her ankle as she forced herself to stand up. The monster hovered over her, only a couple of yards away. It was terrifying up close, and she felt the urge to start running again- but what good would it do? Its arms would reach her before she would get anywhere. No, she had to talk, try and keep it occupied.

"Spirit." The hollow cackled evilly. "I like spirit."

"You'd like to try and break us first, wouldn't you?" Orihime said defiantly. "Well, I'd like to see you try!"

"You asked for it." The hollow said, raising a tentacle.

"You idiot!" Rukia cried, and as if out of nowhere, she slammed into Orihime, knocking them both out of the way.

"What-what is going on?" Chizuru said anxiously. "What the hell is that… thing?"

"Ah, loyalty," The hollow said appreciatively. "I do love these weaknesses."

"Orihime, get out!" Rukia said, her tone almost desperate. "This isn't your fight! Run away! I'll… think of something!"

"I'm not leaving you behind." Orihime said firmly. "Erza wouldn't do that. I won't either."

Lazily, the hollow raised a tentacle, and brought it down. It was a measured blow, hard enough to really hurt, soft enough to not kill. Rukia steeled herself, and shoved Orihime back. Gigai were only artificial bodies, but they could feel pain, and she winced as it hit, sending her tumbling over the floor. She moaned, and struggled to get to her feet. The hollow watched gleefully.

"Rukia!" Orihime cried, and hurried to her side.

"Not… your.. fight." Rukia said stubbornly. "You're not a shinigami. You're not trained for this."

"I'm making it my fight." Orihime said. "Not that I really know how to fight, but… that's beside the point."

"Did Erza teach you to die for no good reason?" Rukia snapped.

"She taught me to stand up for my friends." Orihime said determinedly. Rukia blinked. Friends? Just like that?

"Look at the two of you, speaking as if you still had a chance," the hollow cackled. "I shall enjoy stripping hope from you before I eat."

"Silence, fiend!" Rukia snarled, facing it. "I have killed far worse than you. I may be powerless, but I am _not_ afraid of you!"

The hollow let out a gleeful cackle.  
"I wonder if you will feel the same after I make the humans I controlled rape you all. The humiliation would be the sweetest tenderizer before I eat."

"You're weak." Rukia said contemptuously. "The strong waste no time on eating to gain strength. You humiliate, torture and_talk_ because you fear the strength of others."

"You little cretin!" The hollow screeched and raised a tentacle, bringing it down hard.

Time seemed to slow for Orihime, as it came down. It was a large member, swung with force, and it would catch Rukia dead on. She had nowhere to run, no way to counter it. She had stood up for them both, bravely. It couldn't end like this.  
There was no explaining how it happened. No matter how much she thought about it later, Orihime had no idea how it happened, or how she knew what to do, or from where it came. All she knew was that she raised her hands, defiantly staring back at the hollow, intent on protecting Rukia…

Then, there it was. A gleaming, transparent golden barrier, roughly the shape of a triangle, large and broad. It blocked the hollow's blow, its tentacle bouncing off it as if it had struck steel.  
The hollow looked surprised, stunned, and banged against the shield once, twice, to no effect. Firmly, Orihime glared at it, her brows furrowed in a way that would have made Ichigo proud.  
The shield disappeared, and somehow, Orihime knew what to do next. It was primal, like a skill coming right from the backbone, like the instinct to fight or run, like fear, anger, excitement… it was the basest, most direct knowledge, beyond explanation.

_"I reject you!"_ she said, loud and clear, and the golden light appeared again. There was a streak of red, and a forceful surge of power ran forward, slamming into the hollow's mask. Orihime could feel it as it cracked the bone-white substance, as keenly as it had been her own hand, yet entirely different. Had she had the presence of mind, she would have asked herself if this was what Ichigo felt, what Erza felt, but her mind was focused- the hollow.  
The beast wriggled and cried, thrashed in the air as it began to dissolve. For a second Orihime stared at it, and felt something different- mostly adrenaline, actually, but something else, too. Something in between satisfaction, pride, relief, joy…

Then she blinked.  
"Did I just do that?" She said, sounding baffled. The sensation was rapidly disappearing, with the immediate threat gone. "That was…"

"I've never seen anything like it." Rukia said, looking almost as surprised as Orihime. "What did you _do?_"

"I have no idea." Orihime said. Then, she cracked a smile. "But it was totally awesome."

"What-what the hell…" Chizuru mumbled, looking dumbfounded.

"That reminds me," Rukia said, and pulled out a small device, looking rather like a pez dispenser. She held it up to Chizuru's face, pressed a button, and the girl's face went blank.

There was a sudden crash as part of the roof came tumbling down, and a distraught Erza landed on the floor, hard enough to leave visible cracks in it. Wildly, she looked around, first at where the hollow had been, then at the state of chaos the library was in, and finally, her eyes landed on Orihime. Her face all worry, she hurried over to her, putting her hands on Orihime's shoulder, rather harder than Orihime thought necessary.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her tone almost manic. "Are you hurt? Did the hollow get to you? Are you all right? Where is it?"

"Uhm," Orihime said, squirming a little, "Yes, no, no, yes, and it's already gone."

"Gone?" Erza said with disbelief. "What do you mean, it's gone? Who got here first?"

"It was Orihime." Rukia said matter-of-factly. "She manifested some sort of… power. Nothing like ours, but it was strong enough to vanquish the monster."

"Oh, lord help me…" Erza mumbled, the worry on her face somehow intensifying.

"I'm going to become a hero of justice!" Orihime said, her face all cheerful determination.

"You'll give me a heart attack, that's what you'll do!" Erza said. Without warning, she pulled Orihime into a bear hug. "I'm just… so glad you're okay, though. I came as soon as I felt it, and…"

"It turned out fine, Erza," Orihime said, straining a little under her adoptive mother's enormous strength. "Really, it's fine. Now I can help…"

Rukia rubbed her arm, sore and throbbing with pain, as she watched Erza fuss over Orihime. The traitor was, it turned out, quite human too. It was always difficult, reconciling these basic facts- that even criminals have loved ones, even criminals were capable of decency.  
Somewhere in her mind, she had trouble thinking of her as a criminal, not when she saw the look on her face as she looked out for her adoptive daughter.

"Yes, it's too late to turn back now, isn't it?" Erza murmured, acceptance beginning to slowly pierce the veil of stubbornness. It was a very tough, thick veil, though, and it would take some time for it to break down. "I… I'll escort you back home."

"I want to go to the basement." Orihime said firmly. "I want to train."

"…all right." Erza murmured.

"Really?" Orihime said, practically beaming. "I didn't think it would be that easy!"

"You'll be safer there, anyhow." Erza murmured. "But I'm keeping my eye on you, young lady!"

"Yes, sir!" Orihime said, snapping a salute. Erza rolled her eyes. Good grief, it was one headache after another…

* * *

Ichigo was given something of a break after that, Erza wrapping training up early. Orihime's new powers, whatever they were, were something she didn't understand, and even less so Orihime. It was too distracting- and much as she hated to admit it, she would probably have to ask Urahara. In the end, she wound up training by herself, using the rigorous exercise to clear her mind. Well, one thing was for sure, Karakura was no great place to be a hollow these days…  
It was late at night when she stopped, slick with sweat, and she was alone- save for the one presence, waiting near the foot of the ladder up. Yoruichi. Erza almost passed her by, when the dark-skinned woman said something half-mumbled, but probably meant something along the lines of 'hey'.

"Yes?" Erza said, stopping and facing her. "Did you say something?"

"Oh, nothing," Yoruichi said, and there was something different to her tone- a little moodier, compared to her usual, carefree self.

"Well, if it's nothing…"

"When people say 'it's nothing', they actually mean 'it's something, so ask about it', you know." Yoruichi said.

"Or people could just say what they mean and not wrap their words up in unnecessary subtleties." Erza shot back. "So you have something to say. What is it?"

"It's nothing, really," Yoruichi said, and she almost sounded frustrated. "A small thing. Tiny, really."

"Uh-huh."

"Did you enjoy being a teacher? Do you enjoy teaching Ichigo?"

Erza blinked. That came rather out of nowhere.  
"Do I enjoy it? I need to."

"But do you _like_ to?" Yoruichi insisted. "Teaching people, is that satisfying?"

"…yes." Erza said, and nodded affirmatively. "Guiding ignorant people and turning them into knowledgeable and capable individuals, that's a great thing. Yes, I enjoyed teaching, even though it wasn't my true calling in life. And… I suppose I liked guiding Ichigo, too."

"Good, good," Yoruichi said, and nodded. She was quiet for a little while, so Erza said,

"You're asking for a reason, right? I'm not exactly in tune with the subtleties of human interaction, but it's not like you to ask about random trivia."

"Maybe." Yoruichi said cryptically.

"It's about Tatsuki, isn't it?"

"How would you know?"

Erza rolled her eyes. "Yes, maybe it's about some other hand-to-hand talent that's been sparring with you recently."

"I thought you were not in tune with subtleties." Yoruichi scoffed.

"I'm not. Which means you're being really obvious." Erza shot back. "What happened?"

"She wants me to teach her." Yoruichi said simply.

"So teach her."

"It's not that simple." Yoruichi shook her head.

"You never taught anybody before?" Erza asked. She had her suspicions- in fact, she was all but certain of the answer- but she had never prodded Yoruichi about it, because that was her business and she'd never seemed interested in talking about it.

"…once." Yoruichi said.

"And did she turn out badly?"

"No, she was… talented. She bloomed." Yoruichi said wistfully.

"What's the issue, then?"

Yoruichi sat quiet for a little while, staring into space.  
"I had one student," she said, not looking Erza in the eye, "just the one. I let her down, and badly at that."

Yoruichi rarely talked about her past, although Erza had put together enough to know that she had left with Kisuke a long time ago, during that one incident. Who else would she refer to, but the captain of division two?  
"Did you fail to teach her the right things?" Erza said.

"Not so much that, no."

"Was your tutelage lacking? Did you lack the patience, the right mixture of encouragement and discipline? Were you inconsiderate or thoughtless?"

"No-oo, not per se," Yoruichi murmured.

"Then what is the issue?" She might be overstepping, she knew, but Yoruichi had come to her with this.

"When it mattered the most, I left her." Yoruichi said. "I'm… not good teacher material, I think."

"Really?" Erza said. "When you are honest with yourself, do you think you would do badly, teaching Tatsuki?"

"Well…"

"If you are honest." Erza said firmly. "No excuses."

"Well, _maybe_ I'd do all right, but…"

"Tatsuki is a big girl. She can take care of herself." Erza said. "But she does need somebody. I'm not that somebody, but you could be. In fact, I can't think of anybody else who would."

"But…"

"This is your decision," Erza said bluntly, "and I will not judge you, whichever way you choose to go. But it seems you're needed. Do you answer that call, or not?"

"You're always so annoying," Yoruichi murmured. "So direct. No subtleties."

Erza shrugged. "You knew what you'd get when you asked. The decision is yours. I've said my piece. Help her be somebody better, or don't. She'd be better off- but you're not obligated. Your choice. All I know is that you wouldn't do badly."

"Thanks," Yoruichi said. "I'll… see. Maybe."

Erza nodded. "Maybe's good enough for the time being. Just don't let it be a 'maybe' for too long."

Yoruichi stuck out her tongue, and Erza grinned back, and headed toward the ladder. Orihime, and now Tatsuki? Well, they might as well. No turning back for anybody, and all she could do was accept it. Move with the times, for they are a-changin'…

* * *

**That went quite a bit differently than it did in cannon now didnt it? I do hope you enjoyed our own version of it. Now, this is the begining of Orihimes introduction to our series as a fighter. I have no issues with her being a healer, I really dont.** **But I always felt Orihime had potential that she never livd up to. Yes, she has come a long way, seeing how she managed to block attacks from YWATCH of all people...but the recent chapter also disapointed us in that regard. Here, youll see Orihime living up to her potential. Maybe not the "god destroying" one that Aizen said she was, but more potential none the less.**

**As for Tatsuki, dont worry, she'll get her time to shine too. Same with Rukia. I know ive pushed her away for the past two chapters, but dont you worry, I have plans for her. :)**

**Now, a word from my writer, Greatkingrat88**

**Hi, fellas! GKR88 here. Just a quick note with regards to Orihime's powers: Firstly, they are not a fullbring. Both vogo and I agree that her powers being explained as such in canon was dissatisfying- it removed the mystery. That, and the fullbring is the most cancerous, abominable filth that filler arcs have ever seen, INCLUDING the anime- but I digress. Secondly, her powers manifest differently this time- less cleanly, and less conveniently. This is by design. They will develop over time, and grow in strength, and we intend to keep their exact nature- and power- a bit more on the mysterious side.**

**I do hope you'll all enjoy the journey that Orihime will go through.**

**Anyways, I thank you all for reading this chapter, I hope it satisfied you enough. If you have any comments on it, feel free to leave them in the form of a review. Dosnt matter if its positive or negative, im willing to listen**


	31. The 2nd traitor

**Hey guys, I have a surprise for all of you, your going to get TWO more chapters this month! Thats right, TWO more! First being this one, and the latter which will likly be up on the 30th, possibly the first of Augest. I hope you all enjoy what we have in them, I know I do!**

**Please leave any comments and criticism in the form of a review. We don't care if its positive or negative, We would really like to hear about how we handled this part of the series.**

**Thank you once again Greatkingrat88.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

"Keep your guard up! Dodge, parry and slash! No slacking off- find that opening and destroy it!"

Rukia watched as Erza barked out her orders from the sidelines. Another night, another hollow hunt, and she had come along to see his progress. Ichigo was something to behold- less than two months ago, he had been an ordinary teenager with a lot of reiatsu. Now he was a shinigami, moving with purpose, dodging under its claws and vicious strikes with ease. Just a moment's hesitation, just being half a second late would get him cut down, struck almost dead. But he didn't miss, didn't hesitate, didn't let himself get hit. His movements were still clumsy and slow compared to an experienced soldier, but better by far than most senior academy students. Erza had taken him, and like a blacksmith with a lump of hot iron had hammered him into a weapon. This very hands-on approach would have been considered most irregular back at the Gotei, and there was no doubt that he would have benefitted from the theoretical lessons that academy students had…  
But even so. Even _so._ He was handling a hollow, and a powerful one at that, without breaking a sweat. Weak though she was, Rukia could sense its power thrum through the air, thick and malevolent, and was sure that most ranked officers would call in a team to take it down, and even then expect some casualties. Ichigo handled it with ease.

Dodging smoothly under another cut, the beast- looking like an oversized gorilla- let itself be exposed, and Ichigo quickly stabbed into the opening, drawing blood. The hollow cried out, and quickly stabbed forward with its claws, but he was already on his feet, taking two short jumps back.

"What are you waiting for?" Erza barked harshly. "Finish it!"

She was a harsh taskmaster. Taking on a monster of this level would be expected of upper tier officers, and expecting him to do it faster…  
But he could do it. Just five seconds later, he had cut the beast again, and this time his zanpakutou bit deep into its body, through skin, muscle and bone.

Erza Scarlet asked a lot of him. But not more than he could give her.

As the fight went on, Rukia stole a look at Erza. She was entirely focused, giving out orders every now and then, sharply analyzing his movements. He had come an extraordinarily long way in a very short time, and it was mostly to her credit.  
Rukia couldn't quite understand her. Erza Scarlet, her longtime friend. Erza Scarlet, the concerned mentor. Erza Scarlet, the kindly and caring foster mother. Erza Scarlet, the self-admitted traitor. She had watched her, too, in their time together, and she was not making heads or tails of this. The Gotei left no ambiguity with regards to treason- theirs was a purpose greater than any other, to keep stability between the realms, and to turn your back on this was an evil act. Rukia was part of a noble house, and had never questioned this doctrine- the establishment she served had always, in her mind, represented righteousness. She was not like some others, who were quite drunk on their own sense of superiority, but everyone liked to think that they were justified in what they did, that their side was _right,_ and Rukia had never been any different. The law mattered. What was right mattered. These two things had always, in her mind- and that of most shinigami like her- been directly tied to service of the Gotei.  
So when Erza had been revealed a traitor, she had reacted with shock, then disbelief, then denial, and finally acceptance. She had grown bitter about the subject, infuriated that somebody she cared about could have harboured that kind of wicked intent without her ever knowing it. She had been angry that somebody so important had turned out so wrong. The Gotei urged no sympathy for those on the wrong side of the law, no nuances or shades of gray- you were in the right, or you were not. Erza Scarlet was a vile, evil traitor who had carried falsehood in her heart all along.  
Then she had become stranded her, and come across her again. She had seen the affection she had for her family, the care she showed for Orihime, the same devotion and love that she had shown back when she served the Gotei. She did not appear false at all, and while it was possible that it was all an act, it seemed increasingly unlikely. Erza would have to be the most skilled manipulator there ever was, and… it just seemed too simple an answer. Too unlikely.

Which left her with a problem: Erza was a traitor. Traitors were evil. But Erza was also a good, loving person, every bit as firmly moral as she remembered.  
The shades of grey ate away at Rukia's beliefs. She was not brainwashed; she could think for herself, and it was obvious to her by now that reality was… more complicated. Erza had always done what she thought was right. She still wasn't sure exactly what had caused her to run away, but she suspected doing the right thing had clashed with doing what the Gotei had wanted, and… well, doing the right thing anyway sounded exactly like something Erza would do.

As she watched Ichigo finally crush the hollow's skull with a single, decisive forceful blow, she realized there was something she had to admit to herself. She didn't want to turn her in. She would have suspected some form of manipulation, but Erza had not spoken with her often, had respected Rukia's wish to be left alone. All Rukia had seen was how Erza had interacted with everybody else. How, after all this time, she was the same. A good person. Somebody the people around her depended on.  
So what would happen if Rukia turned her in? She would be hunted down, naturally. No matter how strong, she would be subdued eventually. There would be a thorough investigation. Everybody in her environment would be scrutinized. The second division might decide to simply purge everyone around her, perhaps believing she had been raising her own terrorist cell in her years of exile. Or twelfth might steal them away for research, and that she knew was a fate worse than death. Even if they took just Erza…

If they took just her, if nobody else was affected… she would leave a huge hole behind her, and it would be Rukia's fault. But, a part of her remarked in her mind, that one part that was almost as loyal as it was eager to please her revered older brother, turning her in was the right thing to do. The law was absolute; order above all else was what had kept the Gotei together for so long, and doing what was right was often not easy. Giving in now, out of sympathy, would be choosing weakness over righteousness. Her brother would never have hesitated. She shouldn't either.  
But then she thought of the look on Orihime's face when she saw Erza, of Ichigo and all the small ways he looked up to his aunt, of the selflessness and devotion to her kin in Erza, and the little voice found itself overwhelmed.

Unless something changed, she realized, she would likely not let justice run its course. Here… here in Karakura, things were safe. It had guardian angels watching over it, none less than_her,_ and wasn't that the purpose of shinigami in the first place? To protect the innocent and the weak from the indiscriminate evil of the hollow?  
Inwardly, Rukia groaned. It was bad enough to have lost her powers, but to be trapped in a moral dilemma on top of it was adding insult to injury.

* * *

The following day, Tatsuki found herself training once more in that cavernous, brightly lit cellar. It had been a couple of days since her little conversation with Yoruichi, and she had cursed herself over it since- she hadn't seen the woman since, and she wondered if she ever would. She had got too pushy, and…

…and there she _was,_ suddenly having appeared as if out of nowhere at the corner of her eye. She was wearing plain black fatigues, which clung tightly to her form and left her arms free. Stopping mid-kick, Tatsuki nearly overbalanced. After a couple of most undignified seconds, Tatsuki stabilized. She looked at Yoruichi, and blinked. The woman had walked closer, slowly, and while there had been a hint of that normal grin just now, it had vanished from her face.

"Uhm," Tatsuki said, if only to break the silence, "uh, so…"

"You're talented." Yoruichi said plainly. "Very talented, even for a human. Powerful, too. You could come far under me."

"Oh. Um. Thanks." Tatsuki said confusedly. "So does that mean…"

"Do you know the price you pay, though?" Yoruichi continued, talking over Tatsuki's lame attempt to retort. "Power has a price. It always does. Gaining power makes you a potential target for enemies- as strong, or stronger than you. If you became strong, you might one day find that it was all for naught. You'd enter a world you could not come back from, one you can't possibly understand from where you are now. You could train under me- but do you understand the implications?"

Tatsuki blinked. Then, with some clarity, she said,  
"You know, I'm pretty sure I've gone down the rabbit hole already. I'm not in Kansas anymore, and I haven't been for months. Maybe years, even if I didn't know it. It might not have been me that kicked down the wardrobe door, but I've fallen right into Narnia already. You know what I mean? This weird, weird world… I'm already part of it. Might as well learn to defend myself."

Yoruichi nodded, and the seriousness of her face was undercut by the slightest tug at the corner of her lips, that trademark grin not being far away.

"True enough, true enough."

"So…" Tatsuki said hesitantly. "I'll call you sensei from now on?"

"Ugh, no," Yoruichi said, waving her hand dismissively. "That formal crap, I hate it. Works for some people, not for me. I'll teach you, and you'll listen, and if you don't then you won't learn. Simple as that."

"I'll take it." Tatsuki nodded. "So when do we start?"

"Right away." Yoruichi said, and nodded. "There is just one slight problem, though."

"What?" Tatsuki said. She was eager to start, eager to get going- what was the hold-up?

"Your reiatsu- that's the scale of spiritual power, for your information," Yoruichi said, in response to the quizzical look on the girl's face, "is quite sizeable for a human. However, you have yet to achieve any real control over it. Quite normal for a human being, or even most souls, but without it, I can't do more than improve your martial arts skills, which won't really help you against a hollow."

"So how do I fix that?" Tatsuki said impatiently.

"The easiest thing would be to die, I think," Yoruichi said casually, and shrugged. "A soul separate from the body is always easier to mold."

"Whoa, hold up there. Let's not… get crazy, shall we?" Tatsuki said hesitantly.

"I figured that would be the reaction, yes," Yoruichi said with a nod. "I suppose I could try and goad it out of you, but that could take years, and it's really, really boring basic stuff that I don't have a lot of patience for. I'm an intuitive learner, not good at explaining technical stuff."

"…huh." Tatsuki mumbled, feeling a little defeated. "So um…"

"Well, well, _well!_"  
The voice came from behind a rock, and the shopkeeper sauntered out, lazily spinning his cane as he went. He seemed to have come out of nowhere, and Tatsuki was a bit taken aback.  
"It seems like you are in quite the predicament," he said cheerily. "All ready to begin your epic journey of teenage heroism, fully prepared to train, slay the evil overlord, get the girl, all that heroic stuff, and here you are, held back by cruel chance."

"Please don't pretend like you didn't hide behind that rock just so you could make an entrance when it suited you." Yoruichi said flatly. "For a scientist, you're kind of a drama queen."

"Never mind the plebe, Arisawa," Urahara said, his cheer undeterred. "She is a sad and bitter individual with no appreciation for dramatic timing."

Yoruichi shot him an unamused look, but Urahara ignored her. From behind his back, he pulled something out- a rod or a staff of some kind. It looked like polished wood, with black studs at each end, and it was just slightly longer than she was tall. Aside from looking well made, it seemed quite ordinary.

"Is that my magic wand?" Tatsuki commented. "Do I get a magical girl transformation, too?"

"You are a young woman to my liking, Arisawa," Urahara said, smiling amusedly as he twirled the staff around. "This is no wand, of course… but it's not too different. Touch it."

He held the staff out, and Tatsuki gave him a look.

"You want me to touch your staff. There's a joke in there somewhere…"

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean." Urahara said innocently. "Go ahead. Take it."

Hesitantly, Tatsuki reached out, and firmly gripped the staff. Urahara let go, and for a second Tatsuki held it, feeling perfectly normal-  
Then it hit her. A rush, a surge of indescribable, raw power coursing through her. Tatsuki felt as if she was about to explode, as if her body was about to tear itself to pieces. Shocked, she let the weapon go, and stumbled backward, falling flat on her ass.

"What-what the hell was that?" She burst out. "Are you trying to kill me, you perverted bastard?!"

"Kisuke is many things, but he's not a killer. Not for pleasure, at least," Yoruichi reassured her. "I'll leave the explaining to him, though.

"Very kind of you," Kisuke said, with the pleased smile of somebody who knew more than you, and was about to tell you just how much more.  
"What you just felt wasn't the weapon itself. It was power, yes, but it was _your_ power, fully unleashed and for you to use. The staff is a weapon, but more importantly, it is a conduit. It channels what you already have. Think of it as a bottle opener for a soda bottle."

"That was _me?"_ Tatsuki burst out, getting to her feet. "What- what the hell?"

"I'll keep it simple. Ish." Urahara said, spreading his hands out. "Your closest point of comparison is Ichigo, of course. He is exceptional. As he is right now, trained, your power is at approximately forty percent of his. A conservative estimate, of course- my data isn't exact yet."

Tatsuki eyed the staff, lying on the ground, looking innocent. "Well, great. I'm not even half as strong."

"Tssk, tssk," Urahara said. "_Power_ is not the same as _strength_, Arisawa. I cannot be sure just how strong you will be- but once you learn to control your own power, that gap will start to close. Strength is power plus control and discipline. It is my opinion as a scientist that your grasp of the latter two surpasses his."

"So… using this, I can…"

"Become strong enough." Yoruichi said. "A bit of warning would have been nice, Kisuke."

"Oh, lighten up," Urahara said dismissively.

"Why?" Tatsuki demanded suspiciously. "Why go to all this trouble for me?"

The shopkeeper shrugged. "I'd like to say 'out of the kindness of my heart', but people do not seem to believe me when I say that."

"Now there's an understatement," Yoruichi said with a snicker, and it struck Tatsuki how they both grinned the same way.

"I won't lie to you," Urahara said. "This thing is a weapon and a scientific instrument. It will measure everything about you. Your heart rate, your hormonal levels, your blood pressure, your spiritual energy and its fluctuations… it can't read your mind, but it can read just about everything else."

"Figured there was a catch." Tatsuki said sullenly.

"It's no big catch. You are a rare specimen, Arisawa- your power is strong, grown and cultivated by spillage from young mister Kurosaki, which is something with genuine scientific merit in itself. It's a simple deal- you will be my test subject, with no more participation or testing needed than to use that weapon, and in return you will gain the power you desire. With time, you might not even need this weapon, as you learn to harness it on your own."

"Right." Tatsuki said. She extended a hand to pick up the staff, but hesitated.

"I have been honest with you." Urahara added. "Something for something. That is the oldest, most reliable form of human exchange."

"Honest as far as I _know,_" Tatsuki murmured. "Yoruichi?"

"He's not lying," Yoruichi said, and shrugged. "Not as far as I can tell. Not that I'm telling you to trust him, but it should be fine."

"Well, here goes nothing then…" Tatsuki murmured, and once again grabbed the staff. She had time to stand herself upright and plant one end of the staff in the ground before the surge came once more.  
It was raw power, coursing through her entire being. This time she was prepared for the sensation, and took the time to feel it- it was tickly, itchy, running through her like ants under her skin. The first time had been much more overwhelming, unexpected, but now that she was ready…  
It was strange. Really, really strange. This was what her actual soul felt like? It felt both good and bad at the same time; good because it was a raw, strong feeling, one that made her feel like she could move mountains; bad because it made her a little nauseous.

"This is…" She said, her voice trembling a little. She was almost at a loss for words; the sensation was unique, unlike anything she had ever felt before. With something resembling shock, she realized she was glowing, little particles running around her, like small imperfections running across your vision, only in their thousands.

"I imagine it would be quite a shock for a human," Yoruichi said knowledgeably. "Most souls grow into this sort of power with time."

"Uh huh," Tatsuki said, nodding.

"Here, try it out," Urahara said cheerily, pointing at a rock. It was large, nearly as tall as Tatsuki, and probably weighed several tons. "Hit it."

Holding the staff firmly in both hands, Tatsuki took a few steps forward, and then let out a cry as she thrust the weapon forward. To her disappointment, nothing seemed to happen- she had expected it to split in two, or maybe even shatter, but nothing came. Power, it seemed, had its limits.  
"Well, that was underwhelming." She murmured. "Forty percent, was it?"

"Arisawa, please," Urahara said. "Look closer. Just yesterday, if you had punched a rock like that, what would you think the odds would have been of even denting it? A million to one, surely. Now, look closer."

Tatsuki inspected the rock more closely. A small crack had formed, running down the entire rock. It had not split in two, but it had cracked just a little, just from her strike.

"…you'd need a jackhammer to do that kind of damage." Tatsuki said, no longer feeling underwhelmed.

"Now imagine what you'll do when you've refined it!" Urahara said cheerily. "To that end, I leave you in Yoruichi's capable hands. Have fun!"

"Hey, wait!" Tatsuki said, but the shopkeeper had already turned around, readily walking off. He waved at her almost indifferently, cheerily spinning his cane with his other hand.

"Well, that solves that, doesn't it?" Yoruichi said. "Are you ready to learn the real thing, then?"

Tatsuki nodded affirmatively. "Yes, sens- Yoruichi!"

Yoruichi smirked, and nodded. "Quick learner. I like it. Just one thing- this tool won't be a permanent thing. Eventually you'll have to learn it yourself. Eventually you'll die, like everyone else, and then you'll have to find a new way to channel your power- like a shinigami. But until then…"

Tatsuki quickly thrust forward with her staff, and Yoruichi nimbly took a step back, easily dodging it.

"Until then, I learn what I can." Tatsuki said firmly.

"Good girl." Yoruichi said, and cracked her knuckles.

* * *

It was after school, and Rukia had taken refuge in Erza's apartment, along with Orihime. The setting did little to ease her doubts and inner conflict, but Orihime herself did. Something about that girl was uplifting- her sincere cheer, honesty and optimism reminded Rukia of something old, of a childhood almost forgotten. At this particular moment she was especially bubbly, excitably demonstrating her new powers. She had not gotten a good look at it the other day, but here, with no hollow to distort things, Orihime was free to demonstrate. The two of them were sat down on the floor opposite of each other.  
Spirituality was a curious thing. Shinigami knew more of it than most, but it was a vast and strange field, filled with things you would never expect or guess. Orihime's ability, Rukia thought, was unlike anything she had ever seen before.  
Around Orihime, six bright, golden lights were spinning. Quickly, almost enough to leave a trail behind them. Rukia looked closely, almost fascinated.

"They are the Shun Shun Rikka!" Orihime exclaimed proudly. She was sat on the floor cross-legged, looking at the lights with adoring cheer.

"What does it do?" Rukia asked. "It seemed quite powerful the other day-"

"Now you offended them." Orihime said. "It's all right, you guys. She doesn't know any better."

Rukia blinked.

"It's not an _it,_ it's a _they_," Orihime explained. "They are people. Six of them. Introduce yourselves, why don't you?"

The six lights abruptly stopped buzzing about, levitating in front of Orihime, and Rukia could make out their shapes- little humanoid sprites, no taller than the height of her hand, each one looking different from the next.

"Ayame!" One cried, a female with a large, elaborate dress.

"Baigon!" The next asserted, and he would have looked rather rough and tough with his broad shoulders and half-masked face if he hadn't been so tiny.

"Hinagiku!" Another sprite exclaimed, a lean, lanky-looking thing in purple. He was male, and had an eyepatch.

"Lily!" Said the next sprite, a female in yellow, transparent glasses, what looked like a blue bathing suit, and bright pink hair.

"Shun'O!" Said the next sprite, blond and with its hair in a top knot, and Rukia could not quite make out if it was male or female.

"Tsubaki!" Said the last sprite, his face masked by a white scarf, and wearing all black.

"…I see. Nice to meet you all." Rukia said, a bit taken aback.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Orihime said happily. "They can do all sorts of things- just this morning, they helped me heal a little birdie with a broken wing, and Tsubaki chased off the cat that did it."

"So… they can do all sorts of things, huh?" Rukia said. A scientist, she knew, would be absolutely thrilled- new knowledge always did that. She herself was just curious.

Orihime nodded. "Um-hmm! It was all so weird after that time in the library, but that night, they started speaking to me. They came from me. They are my power, they say. And when they're not out like this, they're resting in my ear pins."

The sprites gave Rukia a suspicious look, and went back to levitating around Orihime.

"I'm only just getting the hang of it, really," Orihime said, and stood up, "but I'm pretty sure I can be useful now. I can use it to protect, to heal, and to fight, even. I just get up and say, 'I reject', and they listen. It's like- no, not _like_, I've totally become a real life magical girl!" There was a glimmer in Orihime's eyes as she dramatically began punching the air, no doubt imagining some scenario involving robots, justice, and magic.

"Well, that's great," Rukia said, and stood up along Orihime.

"I'm sure I'll find some way of magically transforming my clothes, too," Orihime said. She was elated, Rukia could tell, definitely living one of her fantasies to its fullest. "I've already started practicing twirling around."

Rukia giggled. "I'm sure the hollows will be glad to wait for you to finish twirling."

"Well, otherwise they are just _rude,_" Orihime huffed. "I can't wait to show this to Erza!"

"I'm sure she will be thrilled," Rukia said diplomatically. She had not spent much time with Erza, but she was at least aware of how she felt about Orihime being in the line of fire.

"Here, look what else it does!" Orihime said excitedly. She held out her hand, and the sprites followed her will, and all melded into a golden light. It enveloped her arm and flowed outward, and within seconds it had taken the shape of a short staff. You could partly see through it, and it didn't look like solid matter- more like light having been given form. The staff itself was some four or five feet long, its top adorned with six pairs of wings, each pair pointing in a different direction. Light radiated from it, shining brightly, almost hard to look directly at.

"Come on, attack me!" Orihime said excitedly.

"What?"

"Attack me, I'll show you what it can do. It's like, sixty-four percent safe, I promise."

Looking at the big grin on Orihime's face, Rukia sighed, and decided to oblige her. How dangerous could it be?  
She made a fist, raised it, and came at Orihime- gently, just in case. She needn't have bothered.

"Shiten Koshun, I reject!" Orihime said firmly. A triangular shield formed, and Rukia's hand connected with what felt like a sheet of steel. Surprised by the strength of the shield, and its sudden appearance, she overbalanced and fell backwards. She let out a startled yelp.

"Oh Rukia, are you all right?" Orihime exclaimed, and hurried to her friend's side. The light dispersed, and the staff seemed to disappear.

"Yes, yes," Rukia said, shaking her sore hand a little. "I'm fine."

As Orihime let out a flow of apologies, Rukia sighed a little inwardly. She really should know better than to even _think _things like 'how bad could it be?'

* * *

The next day, Rukia was sat deep in thought on a rock in the basement, watching Ichigo train. The young lad was putting his back into it, sparring with his aunt to the best of his abilities. His reiatsu was pulsing heavily, and sweat was dripping down his face. He was the spit-and-image of Shiba Kaien, and it twisted her heart like a knife to watch him- so alike, so equally honest, forthright, stupid, strong and brusquely charismatic- well, when he wasn't scowling at the world.  
Rukia could put two and two together. Ichigo's appearance was no accident- his father was undoubtedly not just any shinigami, but the long thought dead Shiba Isshin, once a captain himself. It explained quite a lot- a shinigami father and a quincy mother; he had won the genetic lottery, born into raw power and immense potential. Under Erza, he had quickly bloomed, despite his form being so crude, raw and inexperienced.  
She would take all of that away. If she did the right thing, the hard thing, and told on Erza, there was _no way_ the Gotei would leave him alone, or anybody in his family. Isshin would be tried as a traitor. His family… would be lucky if they were just exterminated. The Gotei did not believe in mercy toward potential threats.

She balled her fists angrily. Why? Why did it have to be so_hard?_ Why did the right thing have to be so wrong? Why? She had signed up to fight hollows and guide lost souls, to serve a cause greater than herself…  
Not to ruin lives. If it were found out that she had kept this from her superiors, she too would be tried as a traitor.

But through her anger and frustration, she already knew. She couldn't do it. Gotei be damned, right be damned, house Kuchiki be damned, _she couldn't do it_. Just thinking about Ichigo, so much like Kaien, just thinking about Yuzu and Karin, and their loving parents, and Erza… imagining what she would do to them, she knew she would die of shame if she turned them in. Rukia was not drastic, overly dramatic or emotional; she had always considered herself practical and down to earth- but it was no exaggeration, she knew, to think she would rather be dead than cause this to happen.  
It was a startling realization. In her heart, in this very moment, she was as much a traitor as Erza. The Gotei might never learn, but she would always know.

As Ichigo finished up, breathing heavily, Rukia hopped down from her rock, and walked up to him, nearly running.

"Quite the workout, isn't it?" She said, trying to sound casual- and, she knew, probably failing.

"Uh huh," Ichigo said, nodding and drawing a few deep breaths, before firmly planting the point of his sword in the dirt. "What's up, Rukia?"

Damn.  
"Nothing, nothing at all," Rukia said cheerily. She was a good actor, she knew, but she wondered if he couldn't see right through it. "I'm just a little curious, that's all."

"If you're curious, ask." Ichigo said bluntly.

"She really works you hard, doesn't she?"

"Ain't that the truth." Ichigo grumbled. "You'd _think_ she'd slow down a little now that I've got a handle on things, but no…"

"What do you think of her? As a teacher, I mean," Rukia said carefully.

"Sweat, blood and tears aside?" Ichigo grumbled. "She pushes me as far as I can go. She's probably not the most pedagogical teacher there ever was, but… she makes me strong. She hurts me 'cause she loves me. Sounds fucked up when I say it, but it's the truth. It's painful and I sometimes hate it, but it's necessary. It's a jungle out there, and if I'm not strong enough, it'll eat me- or the people close to me. If it makes my family safe, I won't complain."

Rukia looked at him. Something twisted inside her- it was like looking right into a younger Kaien, now more than ever. So bluntly honest and kind…

"You all right?" Ichigo said.

"Oh." Rukia said, and blinked. "Yes, I'm fine. It makes sense. What you said."

"Right." Ichigo said. He shot her a small grin, and lowering his voice a little, as if uttering some hush-hush thing about something he wouldn't want his mother overhearing, he said, "between you and me… I don't always like the training, but the power? I like that a _lot_. Makes me feel like I'm king of the world. Not that I'm looking to turn into some big-dick macho samurai Rambo, but… that's a perk I can live with."

Rukia smiled. "There is nothing wrong with appreciating your own strength. Just don't-"

"Don't let it turn into vanity, or you will defeat yourself and reap the consequences," Ichigo said, rolling his eyes, his voice mockingly taking on the formal, harsh tone of his mentor. "I got that covered. She'd beat me senseless if I let it get to my head, so I got that covered."

"She's been good for you, hasn't she?" Rukia said, her voice a little strained. "Your entire family."

Ichigo gave her a scrutinizing look.  
"Look, I don't know what this is, between her and you… but you wanna know about Erza? You may have known her longer than I did, for all I know, but the Erza I know? She blew my nose when I was five years old, looked after me when mom and dad was away, put Band-Aids on when I scrubbed a knee or an elbow, read me stories… hell, it's like having a second mom. Yeah. She was good for us. Never did anything that wasn't looking out for us."

Rukia sighed. "What must you think of me, accusing your aunt like that…"

"What's between you and her is between you and her," Ichigo said. "You seemed to hate her back then, but she didn't seem to hate you back- and I don't know exactly what happened, but it's none of my business." He gave her a look, frowning slightly. "You're askin' now. People who made their mind up don't usually ask question. So now I'm asking- do you still have a problem with her?"

"I have… doubts." Rukia said tentatively. "She is a self-admitted traitor to our cause- a cosmically important cause. But… I can't for the life of me disbelieve what you've told me about her. It's…"

"Funny how things ain't clear cut?" Ichigo said. "Must be like being a teenager all over again, won't it?"

"Something like that." Rukia admitted, with a small smile on her face.

"All I know is, she cares. She kept this whole business from me, but that one was on mom."

"And there I was, telling your beloved aunt what a horrible traitor she was…" Rukia mumbled. "I should have known better."

"You know," Ichigo mumbled, somewhat awkwardly, "you know you _saved our lives_, right? Like, Tatsuki, Orihime and me, we're actually here, and not dead and eaten, because you were at the right place at the right time. You almost died fighting. I mean… that counts for something. You know that, right?"

Feeling somewhat awkward, Rukia shifted. "I was just doing my duty. There was nothing special about that."

"It was still brave, and it still means… um, everything." Ichigo said. "So uh… don't worry. You're still cool in my book."

"I take it 'cool' is a mark of significant status?" Rukia said with a coy smile, taking the opportunity to deflate the tension with a smart remark.

"Biggest one there is, if you're fifteen." Ichigo said with a grin. His face went serious after a few seconds. "Look… at the end of the day, we owe you our lives. I don't know what'll happen when you get your powers back, but maybe one day, I'll have to repay that favour. If I have to, I will."

"No need to get so serious," Rukia said. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Sure, sure," Ichigo said, and nodded. "I'm just saying… if push comes to shove, you can always count on me. Even if I'm probably going to be busy getting my skull caved in by my auntie's fist."

"Thanks." Rukia said simply. Her face held a warm smile, but on the inside, she felt something bittersweet well up. He was every bit the honourable Shiba- placed in a modern society though he was, he would fit right into that house.

* * *

The first day of training had been exactly what Tatsuki had expected it to be- painful, frustrating, exhausting, and exciting. Every time she touched her new weapon, her power surged, and she could fight- although if she let go of it for more than two minutes, it would vanish, slip out of her grasp. Yoruichi had already, as her first order of business, begun teaching her how to handle a staff, how to make it a natural part of her martial art.  
She was covered in bruises, little scrubs, and she ached down to her very bones. But at the same time… she felt _strong_. Powerful. Spirit power was _amazing_, there was no other way to put it. She was literally superhuman when she used it- she had found herself moving faster than her mind could even register, leading to more than a few embarrassing tumbles. She had thrown punches she knew you shouldn't be able to throw, unless you were some kind of seven-foot-tall Icelandic modern-day Viking strongman, quite likely with 'Thor' in your name and arms the size of tree trunks. Her own slender, lean arms now moved with strength that would baffle athletes.

Which was why, despite the aches and pains, she was inspired, eager- zealously so- to continue. What was a little pain compared to this? Compared to real strength?  
Yoruichi, for her part, was still unfazed. Not one of Tatsuki's punches or kicks, on the rare occasion that they landed, seemed to do any damage at all. Spirit power, she had explained, was a battle of numbers- it was your power versus theirs, and if theirs was a lot bigger than yours, then your own attacks would be proportionally weakened. With how Yoruichi seemed so unaffected, Tatsuki had to wonder just how strong she was.

They had trained in the basement, some ways from where Ichigo trained. Finally, Yoruichi had called it a day, insisting that Tatsuki had to ease herself into this. Tatsuki protested at first, but gave in soon enough- she didn't want to get pushy with her new not-sensei.  
There was one thing, though. As she walked back, she saw Ichigo, coming back from a break. Staff in hand, she quickly approached him.

"Tatsuki," he said, giving her a surprised look. "You're… different."

"Stronger." Tatsuki said with a grin. "That perverted shopkeeper found a way." She firmly put her staff into the ground, so as to mark its importance.

"That's… great, I guess." Ichigo said. "What's going on here?"

"Found a teacher, and found me some power." Tatsuki said confidently. "Or not 'found', I guess… it's all my own, it's just that I can't normally use it."

"Well… good." Ichigo said. "It's always good to be able to defend yourself."

"I'll catch up." Tatsuki said firmly.

"Huh?"

In a swift movement, Tatsuki thrust her staff forward, aimed at Ichigo's face. As she had expected, he reacted in time, pulling back.  
"To you, dummy," she said, not unkindly. "You may be freakishly strong, but one day… I'll be, too."

"Is this where we get some sort of dumb emo ninja rivalry, and one of us eventually runs off to train under an evil terrorist to avenge something?" Ichigo said, his voice in between sarcastic and befuddled.

Tatsuki snorted. "Try me."

"What?"

"I said, _try me,_" she insisted. "Fight me. See where I am now."

"Uh, are you serious?" Ichigo said. "Seriously, that wouldn't go well for you. I don't want to hurt you."

He was right, and she knew it, but something inside her completely ignored rationality when she head _I don't want to hurt you_.

"I'm serious." She insisted. "Spar with me. Just a quick one."

Ichigo sighed. "Well… fine, I guess. But I'm not using my sword."

Tatsuki considered protesting, but decided against it. She would likely lose anyway…  
The two of them took their stances, and Tatsuki, deciding not to wait- what would be the point of that?- lunged forward, using her staff to launch herself into a flying kick. It hit, a solid, strong double-foot kick right into Ichigo's throat. It was frustrating, then, when she felt like she had hit a brick wall, and Ichigo just stood there, barely even flinching.

"Do _not_ stand around like some idiot." Tatsuki growled. "I hate that. It's condescending-"

In a blur of a movement, Ichigo showed his respect. His fist lunged forward, and Tatsuki reacted faster than her mind could process, just barely bending back to let the blow pass over her. Quickly she somersaulted backward. Ichigo went on, fast and furious, and Tatsuki rather felt like she was trying to fight a landslide. He threw one punch after another, and the odd kick. Her excellent reflexes let her keep up, just barely, but eventually- in reality, no more than twenty seconds later- he hit. She had collided with a car once, when she was a few years younger, and the tremendous impact of it, despite the vehicle's slow speed, had stayed with her in memory. Now, taking one of Ichigo's punches to the gut, the memory floated back to the forefront of her head, from the murky depths of her mind. Tatsuki let out a gasp, fighting to breathe. Saliva dripped from her mouth, as she staggered back, clutching at her gut with one hand, trying to keep her balance.

"Done yet?" Ichigo said patiently. In a real fight, it'd have been over- but then again, that was what training was for. Hammer out the mistakes…

"Again!" Tatsuki croaked. As strong and fast as he was, she could read him- just a little. She knew him, knew how she moved…  
He came in again, and Tatsuki tried to deflect the first incoming blow. Strong, forceful, it came in, and as it slid past her, caught by her arm, she felt like she'd break a bone- but she deflected nonetheless, and quickly jabbed him in the throat, the solar plexus, the face. It felt like punching concrete, but she jabbed nonetheless. It seemed to work; Ichigo actually reeled back, looking surprised. Not wanting to give him a second to breathe, she launched forward, using her staff to strike at him, one piercing thrust after another. Now on the defense, Ichigo took a step back, and Tatsuki felt a victorious surge of pride rise in her chest. Could she actually win? Could she even-  
Then he disappeared, as if having vanished magically. Not a second later he stood behind her, firmly grabbing her right wrist.

"Little shinigami trick." He explained. "_Shunpo_, they call it. I'm really basic with it, Erza says, but basic's good enough."

"That's cheating!" Tatsuki said, furiously trying to wrench free her hand, but Ichigo's grip was firm.

"You think a hollow's gonna care about fair play?" Ichigo said with a laugh.

Tatsuki grunted angrily, knowing he was right, yet still unwilling to admit it.

"Knock it off already." Ichigo said. "Let it go. You tried, and you failed, because I'm like… two months ahead of you in training, and way stronger. There's no shame in being weaker than somebody else, all right? We're not all born equal, not in that way."

With an irritable look on her face, Tatsuki stopped struggling. Well, what else had she expected?

"You cool?" Ichigo said.

"Yeah, yeah," she grunted. Relaxing his grip, he let go of her. Immediately, Tatsuki spun around, slamming a fist into his chest. It did as little as she expected, and Ichigo didn't even react.

"Feel better?"

"Friggin' stupid arrblghrbbll…" Tatsuki grunted, her speech turning into an incomprehensible grumble.

"Look, I gotta run," he said. "Aunt to beat the snot out of me some more, and all that. Keep at it, though. You'll do great."  
Unceremoniously he turned his back on her, and walked away.

"Was that everything you expected?" Came the amused voice of Yoruichi, standing a few yards away, apparently having watched the whole thing.

"Just about," Tatsuki said irritably.

"You know…" Yoruichi said, "a bit of rivalry isn't bad. It gives you a goal. Something to live up to. Not that I would know too much about that, since I've always been the best at what I do-" she said it entirely unironically, Tatsuki realized, and she was inclined to believe it wasn't sarcasm, "-but it seems right. But… don't let it be everything you fight for. Don't let it consume you. Like he said… it's okay to be weaker. There's always somebody stronger out there. You, you're only just starting out."

"Yeah, yeah," Tatsuki muttered, still a little too peeved to take in her not-sensei's advice. "I'll just… go hit the showers, or something."

"You do that," Yoruichi said, with barely contained amusement. "And Tatsuki…"

"Yeah?" Tatsuki said, already having turned toward the basement's ladder.

"You made him use an advanced shinigami tactic to pull that win. He's stronger… but not _that_ much stronger."

Tatsuki just nodded, but felt just a little uplifted.

* * *

Some time after Tatsuki had left, Yoruichi sauntered into Urahara's room. It was a messy place, notes, scribbles and whatever else he used to write down research and ideas strewn everywhere, along with dried-up food leftovers on plates that should have been washed ages ago. It was little more than an extension of his research lab slash sleeping place. It was strictly forbidden for anyone to enter at their leisure, including anybody in the shop- except her. She had always been the exception to all of his rules.  
At this time, he was sitting leaned back in his chair, which he had tilted halfway back, standing it on only two legs. He was staring into the ceiling, deep in thought. He got like this every so often, his mind racing with too many ideas at once. Then, he'd get a stack of paper, fill them with ideas and data, most of which he'd never use, and then he'd invent something brilliant. Often unnecessary, pointless or overly complicated, but always brilliant. He was an inventor, always had been.

"So," she said, standing leaned in the doorway, "that certainly was one very dramatic timing."

"Yoruichi!" He said, the two front legs of his chair slamming into the floor as he sat up straight. His tone, at first startled, turned into cheer halfway through the statement. "Ah yes, that staff- working excellently, isn't it?"  
The question was rhetorical, she knew- he was always sure his inventions worked, and usually, he was right.

"I might have appreciated a little warning."

"Warning?" he said blinking confusedly. "Did I really scare you with that entry?"

"I was in charge of a corps of ninjas," Yoruichi said dismissively. "You can _not_ hide from me, Urahara Kisuke. Of course I knew you were there."

"Ah. Of course. So… then what?"

Yoruichi sighed. "That staff… quite an elaborate weapon, if it doubles as a scientific instrument as you say."

"Well, of course," Kisuke said, his tone quietly excited. "I do not build things halfway."

"Meaning you had to have started building it quite some time ago. You were sure I'd take her on, weren't you?"

"Oh. _Oh._" Kisuke said. "Oh, _that_. Well… yes. I've never been an expert on social matters, but… well, it was fairly obvious. A young, plucky, idealistic martial arts practitioner seeks your help in the one field you excel in more than anybody else. We may not be alike in our interests, Yoruichi, but… we share a pride in the excellence we both possess. When that Arisawa girl asked you, you remembered, did you not- how it felt to be the best at something, and passing it on. Did you not?"

"I suppose," Yoruichi said, furrowing her brows. "I don't see why you couldn't have told me, 'I'm making an instrument for that human girl, in case you decide to teach her everything you know', or something like that."

"What, and affect the process?" Kisuke said dismissively. "That had to be your choice. Not that it wasn't obvious."

"You are really annoying sometimes, you know that?" Yoruichi said, feeling less than amused. "If I'm that predictable…"

"Yoruichi," he said, his tone turning serious. "You've always been my friend. My _only_ friend. The only one who actually understood me. I know you. That's not strange." He looked her in the eye, uncharacteristically serious.  
"You always cared, ever since we were young. Even though I was a commoner, taken in as a patron, and you were a princess- you still treated me as an equal. You left a whole life behind to save my own, and you did so without hesitation. You lost much on my account."

"What, bureaucracy and a noble clan making demands of me at every turn?" Yoruichi said dismissively, doing her best to seem flippant. "I didn't lose _that_ much, Kisuke."

"Yes, you did," Kisuke insisted. "You act like you don't miss any of it, and I think that's mostly true- mostly. But there were things there that you liked, that meant something to you, things you can't go back to. On my account."

"Look-" she started, but Kisuke held up a finger.

"No, no, let me finish, before I make a fool of myself," he said. "I'm not going all sentimental, but…" He was quiet for a moment, as if trying to find the right thing to say. "I have many failings. I'm egocentrical, arrogant, and I act aloof. I mock people for the fun of it, even when I shouldn't. I guess… at the end of the day, you put up with that like it's nothing, and… I figured you should have something to make you happy. Even if, um, it reminded you of something painful. That last part honestly made me iffy."

Yoruichi tilted her head, gave him a scrutinizing look. A moment later, she burst into laughter.  
"You're doing something nice for me, by hiding things from me and explaining it when it fits you?"

"Like I said… not a social expert." Kisuke admitted dejectedly.

"That is so, so like you," Yoruichi said, her laugh dying out into a giggle. "So, you see me interacting with Arisawa, and you hurry off to make a weapon… for me?"

"Mostly, yes," Kisuke admitted. "I know you miss her sometimes. I just thought… taking on somebody new could be good for you."

"Well, another annoying thing about you is that you're usually right." Yoruichi said and shrugged. "Communicate though, you big dummy."

"Ah, but I move at so much of a higher level that mere mortals can hardly comprehend me," Kisuke said with a grin.

"You watch it, or I'll have to give you what for, Urahara Kisuke," Yoruichi said with a grin.

"'What' and 'for' are utterly subjective and therefore meaningless in rational discussion," Kisuke said, grinning back. "So, um…"

"Yes, I'm not upset," Yoruichi said dismissively. "You're right… I miss it sometimes. But I don't regret it, you know that."

"Sure," he said, nodding.

"I'll see you around," she said, giving him a grin. "I'll be busy teaching that girl, though…"

"Just as planned!" Urahara cheered, and Yoruichi laughed as she shut the door behind her.

* * *

It was night-time, and Rukia restlessly waited outside Erza's apartment. She should probably have given this more thought, let it simmer for a week or two- but then again, she could be called back to the soul society at any time, and she plain didn't_want_ to wait.  
Before too long, although it felt like forever, Erza came toward her apartment, wearing her normal gigai. She had been training, Rukia knew- she trained by herself after Ichigo was done for the day. She was nothing if not diligent.  
She showed no sign of surprise at Rukia's presence, and calmly walked up to the apartment door, acknowledging Rukia with a nod, and stepped inside. Rukia, having expected more than that, took a step after her.

"Hey!" She said, in between hesitant and angry.

"Are you coming in or not?" Erza said, casually taking off her shoes, stretching her limbs out a little. She let out a small grunt, and there was something infuriatingly disarming about her.

"I… well… yes." Rukia said. She was ready to fume at her, to lecture and shriek, but couldn't- didn't want to. It only made things more confusing.

"I'll make tea." Erza said, heading into her kitchen. "Close the door behind you, please."

"I- oh, sure…" Rukia said.  
What had happened there? The growing doubts in her mind had left her so angry, so frustrated, so eager to try and convince herself of what she knew _should_ be right- but here she was, following Erza's polite requests like it was nothing. Awkwardly, she sat down on the couch in the living room, and listened to Erza stirring in the kitchen. Before too long, she came back with two cups of steaming, hot tea on a tray.

"It's a black citrus blend, with a bit of honey," Erza explained, and set the tray down. "Great for relaxing after a busy day."

Hesitantly, Rukia took a cup, but didn't drink. She shot the traitor a glare, and received a small smile in return.

"You look like you could use a bit of relaxation. Try it," she said, and as if to demonstrate, took a sip herself.

Not sure what else to do, Rukia took a sip. It was actually quite good, she had to admit.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" She said accusingly. Erza looked back at her, with the face of a patient older sister. She had changed, Rukia thought- not in such an obvious way, but she looked… older. More restrained, more mature. Was it because of how she had went from being a soldier, to being somebody's family? Well… that didn't matter.  
"Well?" She demanded again.

"It seems like the one with something to say here is you, Rukia," Erza replied, her tone mild. "Speak your mind."

"Well…" Rukia said indignantly. "You're a traitor!"

Erza only nodded solemnly in agreement.

"And you plotted to subvert the Gotei from within!"

"It is true." So damned _solemn_. So calm, as if at peace with all of her actions- when they should be held as detestable, loathsome, each one a great regret.

"I have to report you. You know that." Rukia said, putting on a hard front, not letting her doubts shine through.

"You've said that, yes."

"What will you do, then?" Rukia said angrily. "What will you do, when they send captains to hunt you, to take your entire family?"

"I will fight and I will die." Erza said simply. "Perhaps I can ask Urahara Kisuke to hide the others. But if doom comes my way, I won't run and hide."

"Just like that?" Rukia said incredulously.

"I have things I want to do in my life. Things I _need_ to do before I die. But lots of people need things and never get them. The world does not revolve around me. And frankly… if I die protecting my loved ones, it's exactly the kind of death I'd want. I had that once already. I'm not afraid of it." She said the words, calm and resolute, and there was no doubting the sincerity in her voice.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Rukia burst out.

"I know where I stand and where I am going." Erza said simply. "When a body knows that, things like death, or the future, that can't ever scare you."

"The traitor is cowardly, weak of resolve, lacking morality and reason, vile and contemptuous, the scum of society," Rukia said, trying to keep her voice firm. The words were not hers, borrowed from teaching materials every student learned in academy. Loyalty, righteousness, trust… things they all knew by heart. Things that seemed so _simple_, in the best of ways.

"They are the bane of our great cause, and must be exterminated with extreme prejudice." Erza said, completing the quote. "And what do you think, Rukia? Do I deserve to die?"

The tone was not accusatory or aggressive, but Rukia wished it had been. If only she could be angry with her, it would be so much easier.

"The right thing isn't easy to do." Rukia said quietly.

"Very true."

"Condemning you and those around you, that is what the law dictates to be right." Rukia said stiffly. "It's what I _should_ do."

"The law, yes," Erza said, nodding. "You can find right and wrong there. But… what do you know to be right, Rukia? In your heart, when you are honest with yourself, what is right to you?"

"It's not for me to decide!" Rukia snapped. "We submit to the wisdom of those greater than ourselves, and do not question it, for they are older and wiser, and better learned! That is the fundament the Gotei's military divisions are built on! Loyalty!"

"But here you are, debating whether to do the right thing or not." Erza remarked. "In my experience, people do not try to convince themselves that they are right unless they think they aren't."

"God damn you!" Rukia burst out. "I… I should turn you in! It's the right thing to do! It's what nii-sama would want!"

"What do you want?" Erza asked. The question was so simple, so forthright, and it took the wind out of Rukia's sails entirely.

"It's not about me." She mumbled, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Erza gave her a long, careful look. "Loyalty and obedience is a good thing, Rukia. But even wise people are still just… people. Sometimes, they are wrong. Unquestioning obedience is not a virtue. It's the kind of thing that gets people to do horrible things without feeling a shred of responsibility for it."

"I know what's right." Rukia said weakly. "But at the same time, I don't. Is this… is that what happened to you?"

"…yes and no." Erza said slowly. "I am a traitor, as you said. But… I had reasons. Good reasons. What you see now, that right isn't so plain and easy, that came to me soon. I saw evil being done in the name of good, and I never found it justified. So… I found a new path. It was the wrong one, but continuing down the one I was going would have been worse. Or maybe not."

Rukia shook her head.  
"I… I can't do it. I've failed in my duty. I'm no better than you. And the worst thing is, I'm not even sure that's a bad thing."

"Where I came from, we believed in doing the right thing, rather than follow the rules." Erza said slowly. "You would have fit in, I think."

"Damn it all…" Rukia said, and sighed in defeat, taking a deep sip from her tea. It had gone a little more lukewarm, but it was still a good enough distraction. "I know what would happen. I can't live with that. That's the gist of it."

Erza nodded. "I'm glad." There was a smile on her face, genuine and warm, and Rukia was reminded again of the old times, when there had been no rebellion to come between their friendship.  
There was a silence, long enough that it was nearly awkward, and Rukia downed her cup, and made a move as if to stand up.

"Sooo… I should probably get going." She mumbled. "I'm sure you have things to do…"

"Stay." Erza said simply.

"What?"

"Stay. You need someplace to be while you're here- and it might as well be this apartment. You're welcome here."

"It could be dangerous," Rukia noted. "If another shinigami sees me, recognizing you…"

"A small risk." Erza said dismissively. "I don't mind it."

"Well…" Rukia said. She paused, contemplating the thought for a second. Well… why not? This place was nicer than the one she used right now, anyhow.  
"Sure. I guess."

"Good," Erza said with a smile, and Rukia felt as if she had just regained something long thought lost. Despite her failure, somehow she didn't feel too bad about herself.

* * *

**I figured it was about time we finished the subplot with Rukia not trusting Erza anymore. It was fun, but it was nessarcy for it to end before the end of this arc. Tat and I felt that she wasnt getting enough screen time. I do hope all the fans of her character enjoyed this chapter which really developed her character, as well as the many shades of Grey that she had to deal with.**

**I also hope you all like what we've done with Orihime and Tatsuki. Orihime was given that "Light Staff." because I found a badass picture of her using one to fight Ichigo in Bankai. Im sure you can all find that picture that inspired it pretty easy if you type in "Ichigo vs Orihime." Im taking her fighting style a bit differently than the cannon one. Oh sure, she'll be able to do everything she could in the original...But why stop there? Why not do more?**

**As for Tatsuki, GreatKingRatt88 is the one to thank for coming up with the idea of Tatsuki needing a weapon to use her powers. She'll be able use her powers without it eventually, but for now, she needs it. Besides, it makes for a useful weapon, because unless your an arrancar, a quincy very skilled in Blut vein or Yoruichi/Soifon, fighting swords with your hand usually dosnt go so well. **

**Id say after all this, we have just a few more chapters till the end of The Substitute arc, and we go into the Soul Society one. Be aware however that things will be MUCH different this time around. I wont say what, but im sure you'll all find it enjoyable. **

**With that all out of the way, I eargly await to hear all your thoughts on this chapter in the reviews. We are SOOO close to 500, I cant belive that were almost half way to 1000 reviews! Im SURE we can get past 500 by the time the arc is over, but I can only do that if you all leave your feed back. **


	32. Advancing Menos

**I told you all that we would have another chapter this month. Granted its at the very end of the month, but still! However, at the time of this chapters release, we are near the end of the original cannon. It is ...Most unfortunate. Not just because its ending, but because it is being RUSHED to end. So many Plots left to resolve, so many Bankais unseen. Its a damn shame, and very infuriating to say the least. Its more than clear that this isnt Kubo's ideal ending, that this isn't the ending he WANTED to give us. Now I'm sure that ending would have had its own issues. I'm not saying Kubo is entirely without fault...but at least it would have been HIS ending! **

**Its not right, and its not fair to him and the people who have read his story for years.**

**Some may be wondering if this has made me loss my passion for this story. No, in fact its just the opposite. I'm more driven than EVER before to make this story as good, great as it can be. I promise all of you I will give you all a satisfying ending. That's not to say that I hate how the final battle ended. Is it what I wanted? Hell no, not even close...but one has to consider the circumstances.**

**That's besides the point however. I swear that this story will have an ending you will enjoy. Its my life's goal now, to help fill the hearts of the fans of Bleach. I've been a fan for 8 years, its a series that has done so much for me...Its only fair I do this much for it.**

**Well, you've listened to me ramble on enough. I hope you all enjoy this extra chapter. **

**Thank you once again Greatkingrat88.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

Time passed quickly, almost as if in a blur. It was three months since Ichigo had first met Rukia, but as far as he was concerned, it felt like three years ago. He had gone, in that time, from being a normal teenager, to becoming a powerful swordsman and shinigami. Ignorant, insufficiently trained and unskilled, yet making progress, stronger than most shinigami- or so they said, at least.  
Rukia had been something of a catalyst. Ichigo had gained his powers, and not too long after, so had Orihime and Tatsuki as well. Uryu- well, his second cousin had had his powers all along, but now Ichigo knew about it. A whole new world had opened up. With his studies still going on beside this, it felt like living in some bizarre, more colourful version of _Buffy the vampire slayer_.  
The latest arrival had been Chad. The bulky, downright enormous teenager had simply strolled into the basement one day, his arm transformed with some odd red-and-black design that emitted a reiatsu powerful enough that even Ichigo could feel its strength. Urahara had identified it as a 'fullbring', a special kind of power certain humans developed after having been close to death. Ichigo did not know why or how it manifested, and he didn't care either. It was good, having a friend to rely on- a male friend, somebody his own age. Not that there was anything _wrong_ with being surrounded by strong, willful women, but Ichigo figured there was some good in having some form of male company. Even if he was only slightly more talkative than a rock.

Right at this moment, though, talking was the last thing on his mind. Erza had quickly picked up on the potential of another strong fighter roughly Ichigo's age, and had soon set the two of them to sparring with each other. Learning to spar against only one opponent, only one style, was a weakness in itself, she had said- and what she said was what went, and no questions asked.  
Chad was a diamond in the rough, possessing little more than street-fighting skills, but his raw power almost rivalled Ichigo's own, and he knew how to use it. That arm of his, when transformed, was able to easily withstand the strength of Ichigo's sword, and when he landed a punch, it was nearly as bad as being hit by Erza.  
An armoured fist slammed into Ichigo's sword, sending him sliding back. He had learned not to lose his footing, not to be overwhelmed, but force was force, and Chad had him on the defensive. The Mexican was surprisingly nimble for his size, and had close the distance in a second, bringing his armoured fist down again, forcing Ichigo on the defensive. The sword clanged as it strained under the force, but it held. However, parrying with both hands as he was, he had no means of guarding from the other fist- which, for its lack of armour, still slammed into Ichigo's gut with severe force. Ichigo had the air knocked from his lungs, and before her could recover, Chad had grabbed him by the neck with his armoured hand, the free one raised for a hit to his face-

"Break! BREAK!" Erza cried out sharply, and Chad immediately relaxed, letting go of Ichigo and stepping back. He was as gentle as he was large, fighting to win when he fought, but not a second longer than necessary. The thrills Ichigo felt, the rush of power, were surely alien to him. To Chad, Ichigo suspected, violence was a necessary evil.

"Good work, Sado," Erza said, marching up to the two. "A bit more restraint would be good, I think."

"Yes, sensei." Chad rumbled, his voice low and respectful. Erza was not his tutor per se, but didn't seem to mind it as a mark of respect.

"And you," Erza said to Ichigo, "you fell for a simple feint. You let him put you on the defensive. You let him dictate the pace of the battle, and that's halfway to defeat in itself."

"Well, sorry," Ichigo grumbled, rubbing his neck. Chad had arms like tree trunks, and even though his grip had been comparatively gentle, he could still feel it. "He's just… damn strong, okay?"

"Nonsense. No excuses, is that understood?"

Ichigo wanted to protest, but held his tongue. The truth, really, was that he kept underestimating Chad, holding back out of fear of hurting him- that, and he was not at all used to his fighting style.

"Yes, sensei," he mumbled.

"I expect improvement from the both of you." Erza said firmly. "Until you master your strengths, you are both a threat to yourselves and people around you. Power has a price."

Ichigo had heard all the lectures before- responsibility, how he had a power greater than any gun, how he had no choice but to learn to use it properly, using it with purpose… his aunt wasn't wrong, not per se, but hearing them repeat, like bad movie clichés, sometimes got old. Chad, though, seemed to drink it in like wisdom, his eyes fixed on Erza.

"Right." She said, nodding at the two of them. "One more time, and we'll call it a day."

Ichigo nodded with relief, and got into a stance once more. Training had eased up a little over time, he noticed, as Erza seemed to also dedicate time to her own training- something she did plenty of, he realized, and had less time for when training him. She still had a job, she still looked after Orihime…

Just as Chad put his hands up, his face a mask of concentration, they were interrupted. There was a tremor in the air- no, not in the air, but in the spiritual energy running across the town. Erza seemed to notice it too, and a concerned, surprised look passed her face. Ichigo held up his hand, urging Chad to relax.

"What- what was that?" Ichigo said. It felt like a hollow- rippling across the spiritual network with foul, negative energies. But it felt… stronger. More wrong. Bigger than anything he had sensed before.

"Damn." Erza muttered, gripping her sword. She took a deep breath.

"What is going on, sensei?" Chad asked.

"Something big is coming. Bigger than anything you ever saw before- literally and not so literally."

"Huh?" Ichigo said confusedly.

"…actually, this'll be useful." Erza mumbled. "Go get Orihime and Tatsuki. I want all four of you to see this one."

"Well, I'm lost…" Ichigo murmured. He went to get Orihime and Tatsuki, both busy with their respective training, and a few minutes later, all five of them were headed out of the basement, up its ladder. Once they were outside the shop, Erza promptly picked up Orihime and Tatsuki, and sped off. Ichigo looked at her running off, bewildered, and a second later he followed suit. Chad was left behind, footslogging after the rest of them.  
A couple minutes later, they assembled a few blocks further down in Karakura town. Chad had kept a remarkable pace, and was not far behind. Although he had no real ability to track reiatsu- yet- there was no need to.

Because the sky had split.  
Or so it looked, at least. A massive tear was opening, some hundred meters above the ground, and a gargantuan pair of clawed hands were slowly enlarging it. Ichigo stared up to the sky, gaping. The thing was enormous. Its elongated face alone, leering down at him like some grim plague doctor's mask, was bigger than he was tall.

"Man… what the hell _is_ that?" Tatsuki gasped. She looked scared, and Ichigo couldn't blame her; the oppressive, malevolent reiatsu of the creature bore down on him too, and made him shiver right down to his very bones.

"That's like… huge." Orihime said, her voice uncharacteristically neutral. The tear grew larger, and the creature began to heave itself out, a dark and wicked mass of dark reiatsu.

"And on that day, mankind received a grim reminder…" Ichigo mumbled to himself. Chad only stared stoically, catching his breath.

"_Menos Grande,_" Erza said firmly. "The lowest step in the highest hollow hierarchy. They are born from thousands of hollows flocking, merging into a single beastly being. It is… immensely powerful. Look upon it and learn."

Ichigo could hear the clatter of running feet, and looked to his right to see Rukia, running in their direction, gasping for air. She finally stopped next to Erza, leaning forward, her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.  
"It-it's-"

"I know." Erza said. The beast, the enormous so-called Menos Grande, opened the tear wider, slinging one massive leg out. It seemed impossibly slender for its size, taller than it had any use for being. With its long, lanky frame and black shroud, it looked like a caricature of Death.

"Uh, just how strong is this thing?" Ichigo said. "You can handle it, right?"

"Without a problem." Erza said. "I just hope it did not bring any friends."

"Without a problem. Okay." Ichigo said, letting out a nervous chuckle. "So uh, why don't you deal with it, and give us a lecture later?"  
The monster put its second foot down on the ground, and looked around, as if confused of where it was.

"Well, would you look at that!"  
There was no mistaking that shallowly cheerful voice. From out of nowhere- or more likely around a corner- Urahara Kisuke had stepped out, merrily twirling his cane. "Now that's what I call a hollow!"

"_You._" Erza said, her voice carrying a foul tone. "If I find out that you-"

"Oh, _please,_," Urahara said. "I have plenty of data to examine, far more interesting than some generic Menos. So, I expect you will be taking care of this?"

"Of course." Erza said.

"Good call, good call," Urahara said and nodded. "I agree entirely. These children may be strong, but it's _far_ too soon for them to take on a monster of this magnitude. I mean, as you no doubt have surmised, they _could_ potentially beat it, but it's far too big a risk. You're making the right call, as a responsible sensei should."

Erza stared at him blankly. "What-" She shook her head, and glared at him. "What the hell is your game?"

"Oh, just here for the show. I'll be waiting with the kids at the sidelines, if you don't mind."

"Are you trying to-" Erza said, in between angry, frustrated and confused, cutting herself off.

"I'm not trying _anything,_," Urahara insisted, sounding suspiciously sincere. "You're absolutely right. These children are much too young and untested. I doubt even that young quincy coming this way would be able to tip the scales."

"You think they can't handle this?" Erza said angrily, and Ichigo put the palm of his hand to his forehead. _Really?_  
"You think they are too weak?"

"Oh, not at all," Urahara said, making a pacifying hand gesture. "Just untrained. I mean, there is only so much you can do even with exceptional talent, in such a short time. Nobody would fault you as a sensei. I am sure that in a year or two, they would be able to take on a huge class hollow if they work together as a team."

"You listen here," Erza said, practically fuming, "they are perfectly capable of handling this if they had to!"

"Yes, it's good for a teacher to have faith in her students," Urahara said, and Ichigo marveled at how he somehow managed to be utterly obnoxious even when he was being positive and supportive. "Nobody could blame you for overstating them a little. They are your pride and joy, I'm sure."

Ichigo felt that sinking feeling.  
"You think I can't tell what you're doing?" Erza snarled. "You manipulative little…"

"Me?" Urahara said innocently, producing a small bottle of water, from which he took a small sip. "I'm just a bystander. You're doing a fantastic job, miss Scarlet. Now go on out there, and show that Menos who's boss, so the kids can learn a new lesson."  
_Kids,_ over and over, as if to emphasize their underdevelopment, their lack of skill…

"Listen up, you four!" Erza all but roared. "You are going to take that thing down, and no mistake!"

"WHAT?!" Tatsuki said, but Ichigo was already prepared, palm meeting face for the second time. She really fell for it. She really wanted them to fight… that thing.

"That means you too, quincy!" She shouted toward a rooftop. "And no attitude, or I'll kick your ass! Masaki's not here to bail you out!"  
Tamely, Uryu descended to the ground, last to arrive.

"Aunt, you can't be serious!" Ichigo hissed. "That thing… it's huge!"

"You'll face bigger challenges than that." Erza said stubbornly. "Work together, and you can do it. Believe in each other. Support each other. _You can do it,_ and I wouldn't let you do it if you couldn't."

"Well, this is a change of pace," Orihime said cheerily. "I'll work defense! And offence! And then defense again! And when you need it, I'll throw in like, a plus twenty percent fire damage buff!"

"That's the spirit," Erza said, nodding approvingly, seemingly over her hesitation toward Orihime seeing combat for the time being. "You five will, as a team, take that thing down posthaste. If you can't handle it, I will step in. Besides that... I'm leaving it to you."

Chad simply nodded; Uryu looked a little pale but looked determined, and Ichigo just swallowed. Okay. Size wasn't everything. It was really about who had more reiatsu, who could use it better...

"We need a plan of attack." He said flatly. "Cousin, how hard can you hit it? Can you pierce its mask?"

Although he sounded far less haughty than Ichigo had expected, there was still some arrogance left in his voice as he replied.  
"Perhaps with time. If I could charge a shot, if it was weakened..."

"Right." Ichigo nodded. "Chad and me, we're the beefiest targets, so we'll run in up front. Orihime, you... can you really put on a buff?"

"Uh-huh!" Orihime said cheerily.

"Okay," Ichigo nodded. "Do that, then. Back us up. Tatsuki, I want you to hit it from behind where you can, maybe go for a knee, and cousin, try and hit it someplace painful from afar."

"Who died and made you boss?" Tatsuki objected.

"I concur." Uryu said. "Do not presume to think you have the capacity or experience to order _me_ about."

Ichigo let out a frustrated grunt. They didn't have time for this.

"Listen," he snapped quickly, "we work together, or we get a beating from my aunt. You ever got a beating, cousin? A proper, hard beating from somebody who's just holding back enough so you're not getting seriously hurt?"

The look on his cousin's face said enough. "Thought so." Ichigo said. "And you Tatsuki, you at least know what that feels like. You want more of it? I know what it's like, because I've been on the receiving end of it for months now. Now me, I at least have a basic idea of what to do, but if anybody else has an idea, I'm all ears!"  
He gave a quick glance to the monster, which seemed to have noticed them.  
"Heads up, though," he added, "we don't have time to sit down and have a committee on this decision!"

Tatsuki and Uryu fell quiet.

"No arguments? None? Didn't think so!" Ichigo snapped. "Chad, you and I, we're running from the front. We'll try to unbalance it, and get its attention. Orihime, back us up. Tatsuki, you try and go for the knees. Cousin, you pepper it with as many damn arrows as you can- confuse it, hurt it, whatever!"

"Yes, sir!" Orihime said cheerily. Chad simply nodded. Tatsuki gave him a look, then shrugged. Uryu was the last to fall in line, but seemed to decide not to argue at last, quite possibly because of the way Erza was looking at him- at all of them.

"All right, charge!" Ichigo said. Hoisting his sword up high, he ran forward, Chad at his side. Ichigo came in first, slamming his sword into the creature's ankle. It bounced off with a clang, one that made his sword ring, and it did little more than crack its skin. Meanwhile, Chad let out an uncharacteristically loud, passionate roar, and slammed his armoured fist into the other ankle. The impact of the blow was raw, stronger than Ichigo's even, and if they hadn't had the Menos' attention before, they certainly did now. The creature let out a deafening roar, raw and primal, and Ichigo found himself wondering is Shinigami had eardrums, and, if so, they could rupture just as badly as they could on humans. It lifted a foot, slowly but with titanic strength, and aimed to stomp at them. Ichigo and Chad rolled out of the way easily, but the shockwave knocked both of them off their feet.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team was getting busy. Like a wasp, Uryu darted back and forth, unleashing an unending volley of brightly coloured energy arrows. Not one of them seemed to do more than chip the Menos, but it raised a hand, much too slow, to grasp at him. As he darted out of its range with ease, Tatsuki had leaped up into the air, slamming her staff into the creature's knee joint. There was a discharge of power, a crack as if from a small thunderbolt, and the Menos' leg jerked forward, involuntarily.  
Ichigo and Chad got to their feet.

"Orihime, how about that twenty percent fire buff?" Ichigo shouted. It was with some horror that he realized that, for all the fear, dread and danger, he was enjoying himself. This monster was a true challenge, bigger and badder than anything he had ever fought, and he was taking it on alongside his friends. And Uryu.

"Coming!" Orihime cheered. Six orbs of lights began to rotate around Ichigo, and a second later, his sword was aglow with orange, encased in some sort of bubble.

"Chad, get its attention!" Ichigo bellowed. Chad obliged, letting out another roar as he charged. He slammed his fist into the same spot as before, and this time there was a hint of pain in the hollow's shriek. It brought a hand down, monstrously huge and aimed at Chad. It was exactly what Ichigo had wanted. Just as it came down on Chad, the Mexican teen bracing himself for impact, Ichigo flung himself into the air, some ten feet up, bringing his sword up for an axe cut. There was zero subtlety to it, all that swordsmanship seeming superfluous- just him, a sharp cutting object, and something large to blunt its edge on. Holding the sword in both hands, he brought it down.  
The impact made his teeth shake and rattle, and his sword bounced off with a loud clang, and Ichigo fell gracelessly to the ground. The Menos' skeletal arm, though, bled huge droplets of blood, splattering the ground from a cut that was at least three feet wide.  
At the same time, Tatsuki hit again, striking its legs and knees wherever she could. The Menos roared in furious irritation, trying to kick at its enemies, stomp them, but they were all much too quick.

The issue, Ichigo realized, was that while the beast was slow, it was also very powerful, and they were only doing chip damage. As the Menos took a few steps back, futilely swatting at Uryu, Ichigo regrouped with Chad and Tatsuki, Orihime still standing a few paces back.

"We gotta get the mask." Ichigo said firmly. "If we keep going like this, we'll wear ourselves out before we can finish it."

"A tall order." Chad said simply, and Ichigo couldn't be sure if he was cracking a joke or not. It was hard to tell.

"It's like ramming into concrete." Tatsuki said, making a face. "I'm like a freaking mosquito to that thing- annoying, but harmless!"

"Teamwork." Ichigo said. "If we can take a leg off-"

"MOVE, YOU FOOLS!" It was Uryu shouting the warning out, loudly and clearly as he raced toward them. "CERO! IT'S CERO!"

In the mouth of the Menos Grande, a red light was gathering, a blood-coloured orb of raw energy, its miasma so raw that even a normal human would have been able to feel it. Whatever it was, Ichigo was sure, it was bad news. And its energy had just peaked.

"You must help them!" Rukia cried out from the sidelines, where she stood beside Erza. "That- that's a cero! They'll be wiped from the earth!" With horror, she recalled the terrifying injuries she had seen in time, of those lucky enough- or unlucky- to only have been glanced by a cero. It was one of the most frightening abilities they possessed, raw energy that would burn through almost anything in its path.

"Have faith." Erza said simply.

"Faith?" Rukia burst out incredulously. "Faith won't save them! Oh- oh my-"  
She clamped her hands over her mouth. The cero was firing.

"Having faith in your own is not always easy," Erza said sternly, her arms crossed, "but you have to have it. We have to be able to trust them to handle themselves."

"Against a cero?" Rukia said, at the verge of tears. "What have you done…"

"Don't be hasty." Erza said, and nodded toward the battleground. The dust was settling…

Ichigo had thought, for a second, that he was going to die. He had been outraged, that he'd have led his friends, who trusted him, to failure and doom. Outraged, that he hadn't been able to come further.  
Then an orange, triangular shield had appeared, and bore the brunt of the attack. It hadn't absorbed it, far from it; in fact, it seemed most of it had simply been diverted to the area immediately outside it. A moment after the attack had ended, the shield had shattered, and Orihime had fallen to her knees.  
They were none of them untouched. All of them had blisters, Ichigo most of all- he had instinctively put himself in front of the others. The ground was dirt, the asphalt beneath them pulverized. But they were standing, all alive… because of Orihime?

"I told you I'd help," Orihime said meekly, all the cheer beaten out of her. Struggling, she forced herself to stand. Tatsuki hurried to her side, supporting her. There was dust all about them, as if they were at the centre of a local sandstorm.  
"Damn." Ichigo murmured. "Um. Way to go."  
It was the understatement of the year; without her, they would have face oblivion.

"Ichigo!" The cry came from above. It was Uryu, sounding desperate, as if brought to the brink of what a reasonable mind can take. It occurred to Ichigo that he couldn't see them properly- and with the massive emission of the cero still dying down, he probably couldn't sense them either. _He cares,_ Ichigo thought, _it's just that it'd take us dying for him to admit it._

"HEY!" Ichigo cried out. "Hey, over here!"

"Ichigo?!" Uryu cried out. "Oh thank go-"

From out of nowhere, a giant, skeletal hand came through the air, and seized the distracted, distraught Uryu, snatching him from his flight. Uryu cried out.

"Fuck!" Ichigo burst out. "Chad, with me! Tatsuki, try and get up there!"

He began his charge, closing the distance, but knew it was too later. Uryu was human, a squishy, killable human, and he was in the grip of a monster much, much stronger than he.  
But as he ran, furiously intent on saving his cousin, all obnoxiousness forgotten like some ancient memory, he was being surpassed. Orihime, still forcing herself to stand upright, was moving her hands about in a graceful, elegant, almost artistic pattern, and the six lights moved accordingly. In the giant's arm, Uryu cried out, slowly being choked- but then the lights hit. Little by little, the pressure eased, the enormous monster's grip being overwhelmed by that strange power, inexorably outperforming its raw, brute strength. Managing to free his arms, Uryu heaved himself out of the Menos' fist, ending up in a free fall before just barely catching himself, ending up in a barely controlled glide. He hit the ground not far from Orihime.

"What- what the hell is this?" He mumbled. "I felt my ribs cracking… my bow arm was broken, I _know_ it was."

"I'm not sure how it works either," Orihime said, a small bit of cheer returning. "Focus on the Menos, though. I think I can make you go a bit faster and hit a bit harder for a while."

Hesitantly, Uryu leaped upward, sailing through the air. His quincy powers felt stronger than ever, as if supercharged, as if borrowing from some near-infinite source of energy. Moving at a pace faster than anything he had ever grown used to, he fired a test volley. In five seconds, he had let loose three dozen arrows, each one slamming into the Menos with severe force. Each one left a small crater, vile flesh gouged out from the impacts.  
The effect didn't last too long, but it caused the Menos enough pain to pick Uryu as its first target, its arms now flailing after the agile quincy helplessly.

Meanwhile, Ichigo, Chad and Tatsuki had done their best, but their efforts had paused when Uryu had surged- it was impressive to watch.  
"Okay, listen," Ichigo said. "Mask. Like before. Tatsuki, can you make it bend the knee a bit?"

"I could do it one more time, sure," Tatsuki said, nodding eagerly. The heat of the moment had got to her, as did the seriousness of the situation, and like good iron placed on a smith's anvil, she did not break under the pressure.

"Good." Ichigo said, and nodded. "Chad, you, me, together. When it bends, we hit it under the knee, together, one from each side. If we can cut a leg off…"

"Got it." Chad said, clenching his fist.

As the Menos roared again, trying to swat at the quincy fly that had hurt it so, Tatsuki lunged up into the air. Sending herself into a spin, she put all her force into the next blow. Her staff strained under the sheer power, and she almost feared it breaking on impact. The blow hit, clean and true, and the hollow staggered forward, almost tripping.  
On the ground, Ichigo had let his power surge, and in unison, as if he knew exactly what to do, so had Chad. He was a natural in this respect.

As one, they let out a loud roar, and jumped up. Ichigo came in with an overhead cut, aimed right at the fleshier parts of the monster's legs, while Chad aimed his punch to slam into bone, with as much power as possible. As one, their attacks connected. The attack was strong, and Ichigo felt for the blink of an eye like his sword would bounce again- but through his weapon, he felt the impact of its bone snapping from Chad's punch, and with just enough force, he cut clean through the Menos' leg. Falling like a tree, the limb fell over, and as they landed, they were both showered with foul-smelling blood.  
The Menos roared, now fully with pain and terror, and toppled like a redwood, flailing with its arms.

"Quick! NOW!" Ichigo roared, not even waiting for the Menos to fall fully before he leaped up on it. Quickly he ran over its torso, Chad and Tatsuki not far behind. Orange wisps formed beside them, wrapping around the beast's arms. They were not quite efficient, not able to pin its arms down, but it was enough- it was not able to stop the three of them from charging. From above, Uryu's arrows rained, now slow and well measured, strong. In an instant, Ichigo had hit the monster's mask, bringing down his sword. Like a mindless woodsman working a tree that had personally insulted his mother, he chopped at it, over and over. Chad was the next to arrive, slamming one slow, powered punch after another. Tatsuki did as best she could next, jamming a staff into its eye.  
The beast did not lie down and die. It shrieked and twisted, its giant head thrashing, its maw nearly biting off a leg here, an arm there…  
Nearly.

Each one high on adrenaline, focused, they evaded the giant's pitiful thrashing, its struggles, and hammered down on its mask furiously. It was not neat, it was not pretty; it was not organized or clean. What it was was violence, force, applied gratuitously and desperately. Cracks appeared here and there, but the mask was thick and hard. Ichigo was starting to feel his arms numb, growing weary, but pushed himself further. In an instant, without him knowing what happened, power surged through his blade, expelling from its point. It made a massive cut in the creature's mask, and the sheer power of it surprised Ichigo, and he staggered back, losing his footing. The major crack it had left in its mask was all the opening Chad needed, though, and he raised his arm, letting reiatsu focus into his fist. Letting out another roar, so strangely and uncharacteristically passionate in the heat of battle, he brought the fist down. The sound of the impact rung all around them, almost like a physical strike, and the Menos' mask began cracking, splinters of bone flying all around them. Sailing gracefully over them, Uryu planted a final shot into the weakened, cracked mask, and the bony structure finally gave in, cracking from chin to forehead. The Menos shrieked and thrashed, finally breaking free from Orihime's bonds. It clawed at them, lashing out with a desperate speed- but before it could hit, it had started to evaporate. Frozen, as its reiatsu dispersed, it roared one final time.  
It disappeared. Around them was ruination, the street nearby them demolished entirely, and a fine cloud of dust kicked up all around them.

"Well," Tatsuki said, breathing heavily, "let's not do that again. Ever."

"Fucking A." Ichigo mumbled, taking Chad's hand and letting himself get pulled up. He was not usually a swearing type- well, not to a certain degree- but the situation seemed to call for it. The wave of adrenaline was beginning to pass, and the aches and weariness of battle were making themselves reminded. But even then, even then… he felt uplifted.

"It was well fought." Chad said, his deep voice ringing calm and quiet. "I am proud to have stood next to you all. Together, we have done good work this day. I look forward to the next time."

"Well, all it took was fatal danger for him to turn into freaking Chaucer," Tatsuki snorted, breathing heavily, looking more shocked now than she had in the battle itself, probably because it was dawning on her just how dangerous that thing had been.

"That was awesome!" Orihime cheered, apparently having gotten all of her cheer back. Sporting a big grin on her face, she raised a staff high- where had she got that?- and did what Ichigo assumed was a victory dance.

Finally, with a somewhat rushed kind of gracefulness, Uryu landed.  
"You're all right, all of you?" He said, sounding concerned. Before long, he stopped himself, and forced that distant, superior look onto his face, although it was really only halfway successful. "Ah, I mean. Naturally you are. You should know I only helped you get out of this mess because my aunt would be very sorry if you got yourself killed, _Kurosaki._"

A spike of irritation, very nearly forming anger, shot through Ichigo. Again?  
But then he saw the chaos around him, felt the aches in his bones, saw Erza approaching with Rukia in tow, and thought of what they had all accomplished together. Uryu was an idiot. But maybe, just maybe, it was because he didn't know how to be an idiot. He shot him a grin.

"You know what, Legolas? You're all right."

Uryu looked surprised, puzzled. Whatever retort he had expected, that hadn't been it.

"I'm certainly not!" He said haughtily.

"Ah yes, I thought you'd say that." Ichigo said, nearly laughing. "If I told you that you're a genius, you'd probably say, 'I'll have you know I'm borderline retarded, and only achieved my high grades through excessive cheating, you Shinigami scum!' Right?"

Behind him, Tatsuki and Orihime broke into a laugh.

"But you know what?" Ichigo said, spreading his arms, "you pulled through, and that's what matters."  
Before Uryu could react, he had caught him in a bear hug.

"Kurosaki, what the hell?" Uryu snapped, although not struggling very much. "Get off me!"

"Group hug!" Orihime cheered, and rushed in. Tatsuki was not far behind her.

"This is outrageous!" Uryu snapped. "I protest! I protest in the strongest possible forms!"

"Yeah, I just bet you do," Ichigo said. Finally letting go of the group hug, he took a step back. Through all the pain, through all the danger, he felt so very happy to be alive- he felt more alive than he ever usually did.

"Good work." Erza said, finally reaching them. As one, they snapped to attention- victory celebrations were one thing, but when she spoke, you listened. Even Uryu looked to her. "Do you all realize what you just achieved?"

"Uh, we could have done better?" Ichigo ventured. That seemed to be the running theme with her.

"That is always true," Erza said and nodded. "Rukia, why don't you fill them in?"

Rukia stepped forward, less dusty than the rest of them.  
"Do you know what a Menos is?"

"The weakest form of the, uh-" Ichigo started.

"Rhetorical question!" Rukia snapped, and Ichigo rolled his eyes. "It is among the strongest forms of hollow there is. In the Gotei Thirteen, it would be considered absurdity to send a single agent to fight one of these unless they had at least the rank of fifth strongest in their division. Raw power. Malice. A stepping stone for hollow evolution. Normally, a vice-captain or captain would be preferred. You, a ragtag bunch of humans, beat it." Her face was hard, cold, and Ichigo was reminded that she was, in fact, a military officer where she came from. He found himself wondering if he should salute.

"You beat it, and frankly, I am amazed. Well done." Rukia said. "This is extraordinary."

"Well done indeed," Erza said, giving Rukia a courteous nod. "I am proud of you all."

Somewhat spoiling the moment, a slow clap rang over the battlefield, as Urahara Kisuke walked toward them.

"Why yes, bravo!" He cheered. "Bravo, Bravo! I was proven wrong indeed. I humble myself before your vision and your wisdom, miss Scarlet."

"I have the strongest urge to punch you right now." Erza said firmly. "Do not test your luck."

"I suppose you don't want me to hide all of your reiatsu traces, then?" He said cheerily. "The Gotei is bound to take notice of this, and they will certainly want to investigate. What would they think, I wonder, if they found a substitute Shinigami, a quincy, and empowered humans like these?"

"Shit." Erza said simply.

"Which is why it's such a good thing that Moi, the humble, helpful shopkeeper, will cover your tracks." He said, with a grin on his face.

Erza glared at him. "I swear to all I hold dear, if I find out you did this…"

"Contrary to popular opinion, I cannot actually summon powerful hollows at my leisure," Urahara bit back. "Although, I think I could name somebody that can…"

"You don't think…" Erza muttered, and Ichigo saw a look of fear cross her face- fear, and anger."

"It could be a freak accident," Urahara said, with a shrug, "but I think we both know a bit of paranoia is no less than appropriate for people like ourselves."

"We're going back." Erza said promptly. "Now."

"…huh. Okay." Ichigo said. It was a strange and sudden change of humours- she had gone from grudgingly proud and appreciative to sullen and concerned in an instance, just at some vague hint from the shopkeeper. Something was up, he knew, but he also knew better than to question her about it. Together with his friends, he headed back to the shop- where, Orihime informed them, she would fix all of their injuries, just like that. There seemed to be quite a few things to her he hadn't anticipated.

* * *

Aizen impatiently rapped his fingers against the armrest of the chair he was sitting in. He had a throne, a proper throne, prepared in one of the grander halls of Hueco Mundo, and before too long, he would have much opportunity to use it. For the time being, he was sat down in a lab of his, run by a small, humanoid hollow called Szayel Aporro Granz. It was a twisted creature, in its soul if not in body, even by hollow standards, but it was intelligent and competent enough that Aizen trusted it to oversee his experiments when he was away. As the hollow ran its long, insect-like digits over a keyboard, feeding data into the mega-computer Aizen had fitted into the wall, he felt impatient.

It was so close. So very soon, he would have his hands on the long coveted Hogyoukou, that potent, god-like artifact once crafted by that wretched Urahara Kisuke. Once he did, he would have the power to create his own army, and finally abandon this sickening façade. He would step into the light, as a ruler of a new world order- an emperor of the afterlife. Glorious and resplendent, he would reshape the afterlife according to his vision. _So soon._  
In the meantime, he had to entertain himself with little research projects. Like, for example, the Kurosaki hybrid. He had expected him to fight it alone- but then again, Erza Scarlet was too much of a mother hen.

"Preliminary data readings?" Aizen demanded.

"It is still coming along, lord," Szayel said submissively.

"I will not ask again. The short of it, now."

"Of course, lord," Szayel said, and Aizen thought he detected a hint of irritation. He was too clever, of course, to do anything to displease him, but he was not without his own opinions, it seemed.  
"The Menos you ordered sent to Karakura was engaged by a quincy, the hybrid, and three as of yet unidentified empowered humans, at least one of which being a so-called fullbringer. It was outmaneuvered, and after losing a leg, its mask was targeted by multiple powerful attacks until it was purged."

Aizen nodded. "The hybrid's progress?"

"As you predicted, lord. The most powerful out of the group, but yet untamed. His hollow spirit remains a passive source of energy, as of yet never directly used."

"Good." Aizen said, once again rapping his fingers against the armrest of his chair, this time with a tinge of excitement. The hybrid project was one of his more interesting ones, and to see it come along as predicted was pleasing. Soon… soon. A few weeks to seize the artefact. A few months after that to mass produce an army strong enough to kill the Gotei's leadership. A single battle, then a few years to appropriate it as his new domain. Then… his vision would be fulfilled, no matter how long it took. And he'd have all the time he wanted for science, too.  
Soon, indeed. Soon he would seize it. Soon he would stand in the light. Soon he would be victorious. Soon he would see her again.

Soon.

* * *

**And like that, we're past the Menos! I know some people may be upset that we skipped Chad getting his powers, but we felt it was best to move things alog a bit faster. I dont have anything against chad, but he really wont have that much of a role in this story...Though I CAN atleast promise he will get more respect in this story than he did in Cannon. Yamcha he will NOT be. Thats not saying he wont lose...but i can promise you SOME wins. (Just dont expect them to be Captains/espada/Stern ritter.)**

**Now, im sure you ALL know whats coming next. Im SO excited to finally get to this part of the story, as im sure all of you will be. Now, after the next few chapters, Erza will be getting more focus as she did originally in this story. Thats not to Say that Ichigo wont play an important role anymore after this. He will. But ERZA is the main character. Not him. **

**Now I figured it was best to have the Menos be a team effort. Ive always wanted a group fight and I think it came out REALLY well. You may get more of these in the future. **

**Also, some fans have asked me if I'll do ANYTHING with the world of Fairy Tail itself. The answer is YES, I will...but not for a while. Things are still being worked out in my head about how im going to go about that. The focus of the story however is in the Bleach universe. We'll be dealing with Zeref and Acnologia at SOME point to be sure...but Aizen is our main antagonist as of now. **

**Not to mention we still have the Vandenriech to deal with eventually.. While their no longer Nazi quincys, and their hax has been toned down alot...Their still REALLY tough. **


	33. In Preparation For The Future

**Hi, all! GKR here, just typing in a bit of info real quick. I wanted to make it clear, here and now, that this chapter will be a bit different. This one will be less about story, pacing etc, and more just a glimpse into the gotei and what Erza's friends have been up to since she left, in preparation for the coming arc. So with that in mind, please enjoy this new slice-of-life chapter, because it's the last one before we get into the Soul Society arc!**

**I also hope that you all really enjoy this chapter, hopefully things will go well. I have many things I wish to say as well, though thats all saved for when your done with the chapter.**

**With that said, please enjoy and leave yours thoughts in a review.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fu**

* * *

Few Gotei officers relished paperwork. It was a nuisance, hours of work to describe minutes of action, and you were required to hand it in unless you were very, very important.  
Kuchiki Byakuya was not most officers. His mind, so strict, neat and orderly that it resembled nothing so much as a dusty library, worked through paperwork with efficiency and attentiveness. Never a missed word, never a box unmarked, not a single stroke of the pen out of place; that was the kind of person Byakuya was. Many of the younger officers of sixth division considered him perfect, the very model of an officer- restrained, temperate and calm, brave and bold in battle, but never violent to excess. Righteously fearsome when challenged, but otherwise fair- hard, but fair. Sixth division had not always been full of sticklers for the rules, but long-lasting captains had a tendency to leave an impact on their soldiers, and his division was at this point known as the most meticulously efficient, straight-and-narrow elite in the Gotei. Or as Eleventh put it, 'buncha stick-up-their-arse prissy nob wannabes'.  
Sixth division considered Byakuya perfect. The noble head of clan Kuchiki knew better. Ironically, the more knowledge one gains, the more one realizes how ignorant one is, and the better one knows oneself, the better one sees one's own shortcomings. Byakuya knew he was a flawed man, full of little imperfections he would never, ever voice publicly, because it might have a negative impact on morale. Perfection was an ideal, something to aspire to, not something you could ever be.

As he flipped through his morning stack of paperwork, quickly eyeing one document after another before putting his signature to it, or putting it in a pile to be archived, something strange happened. An arrest order had been sent directly to his 'in' pile.  
At first, he thought it was a mistake. He normally received plenty of complaints, from other division officers or uppity noblemen, but this carried the seal of the Gotei Police Agency- run by Second Division, but mostly delegated to the affected divisions to deal with. Curiously, he opened the note.  
His curiosity only increased as he read. Byakuya was nothing if not restrained, and seldom felt anything like shock- but his heart skipped a beat when he read it.

It was an arrest order for Kuchiki Rukia.

The charges were laughably simple. Misdemeanors; Irresponsible Use of Sanctioned Power, Failure To Report Within Appropriate Time Intervals, Meddling With Mortals… all things that, piled together, could certainly land a shinigami with a heavy fine, or even some jail time, but hardly worth the attention of a captain. This would normally fall within the purview of a low-ranked officer, not the head of a division.  
But here it was, on his desk, explicitly ordering him personally to arrest his little sister. Signed by a judge from the Central Forty-Six, no less, and that was a _real_ eyebrow-raiser. They rarely intervened directly, and for such a petty case? Had he offended somebody high up? Was this some petty revenge?  
He thought about it for a second, and realized the truth. It was not revenge, or any such malicious act. It was a courtesy. It was well known among all the Gotei that he valued rules, order and law above all, without exception. By making him personally arrest his little sister, even for smaller charges, they would make him look staunchly moral, consistent with his own beliefs- it would send the message that Kuchiki Byakuya, captain of sixth division and head of the noble house Kuchiki, had no tolerance for crime, even minor, even among his own family. It would make him look strong, and by extension, it would make the Gotei look stronger, and send a message to all divisions in general. He approved of that notion, although he disliked political power plays- the work they did as shinigami was far more important than some political power balance. But it was an inescapable part of their life, even if it was tiresome…

He wondered about Rukia. It had been months since she had left for her first Living-World assignment, without a word sent. This had been nothing out of the ordinary for a shinigami; a soldier could be stationed at one post for years at a time, and communication could be sporadic. He was loath to admit it, but her assignment had left him uncomfortable, irritable even, and he had pondered pulling some strings to keep her home. But that was an abuse of power, even moreso than suggesting to the officer's recruitment office that he believed her talents were best spent in the rank and file- not ordering anything, certainly not, just _suggesting_ that perhaps it would be for the best- and Byakuya was even more uncomfortable with the notion of using power selfishly. He had power, quite a lot more of it than almost anybody else, and the Gotei was full of people who did not use it efficiently or responsibly enough. He would never be so uncivil as to publicly voice these opinions; it was not his place to question the order of things… but there was no denying that not everyone was as carefully considered in their execution of authority as himself.  
Which was why he had let her go. When you aim toward perfection, using power for yourself, instead of for others, was as slippery a slope as one could step onto.

But now she was a criminal, apparently having strayed from the path of the righteous. Perhaps- he hoped- it was a misunderstanding, an overzealous law officer jumping to conclusions. Either way, it did not matter. He would go tonight, taking Renji with him- the boy was still unruly, and needed some hardening, and this was just the sort of thing he could use- and resolve this. Rukia would come, she would face a tribunal and be declared guilty or innocent. She would pay a fine, or at worst spend some time behind bars, and return back safely to duty within good time. His promise to Hisana would remain intact. The tribunal would not likely sentence her harshly- although he disapproved of it, he knew the legal authorities rarely judged a member of a noble house guilty of anything, and if they did, the punishment was seldom severe.

He would go tonight, bring her home, and that would be the end of it.  
Realizing he had pondered the matter for several minutes, and thus falling behind his personal schedule, he quickly returned to his paperwork.

* * *

The sun shone down brightly on the streets of the Gotei Thirteen. It was a beautiful day, bright but not too hot, with a pleasant breeze in the air. It was the perfect day to have the day off, something Rangiku Matsumoto intended to make the very most of. She had even bothered getting up early, something she wouldn't normally do unless she had to. A quick shower and breakfast, and on her merry way she had been. Currently she was strolling down one of the Gotei's many streets, and while she had someplace to go, she didn't walk like she did. The day was young and she was in no rush to be anywhere. A spa after lunch, some shopping… she had the day all to herself.  
Life was quite grand, all things considered. Her life in the afterlife had started rough, and she had many sorrows in her past, like so many others. But here she was, a vice-captain, at the top of shinigami society- with a free day to spend as she pleased. Things like these made life worth it, even with her pain-in-the-rear captain being such a stick in the mud.

Her feet eventually, in due time, took her to the quarters of Kotetsu Isane. At this hour- which for most would be right in the middle of work- she would usually be in the division, managing the hospital along with her captain. She sometimes kept odd hours, though, and working deep into the night was nothing unusual at a hospital. Unohana Retsu was insistent on fair treatment of her subordinates, she knew, and that included appropriate sleeping hours. Given the late hours Isane had put in lately, she was probably not off for work just yet, and she was as good a friend as any to share a cup of tea with, and some gossip. Granted, she would have to do most of the gossiping, but friendship was all about sacrifice.  
Before long, she found herself knocking on Isane's door. It was a rather simple apartment, with Spartan accommodations. She was not the most exciting of people, and didn't spend much here- she lived for her job, an attitude Rangiku would not understand if she lived to be a thousand. Then again, that was probably why Isane was a doctor, and she was not.

Isane opened the door, not even halfway, and shot Rangiku a nervous smile. She always had been a bit awkward.

"Oh, um, Rangiku," she said, almost stuttering. "Nice to um, see you. What are you doing here?"

"Well, good morning to you too!" Rangiku said cheerily. "I just so happened to know you had an hour or two to kill, and wouldn't you know it- so do I. I thought we could go out for a cup of tea, or something of the like. Relax, enjoy the day…"

"Oh." Isane said, and Rangiku knew her 'Oh's. Some convincing seemed in order.

"Or if you feel tired, we could just hang out here," Rangiku said, undeterred. Without hesitating, she pushed the door open, and stepped inside. She hadn't been invited, not _per se_, but Rangiku was the sort of person who operated under the assumption that her company was always welcome. In all fairness, she was usually right. Despite Isane's anxious look, everything seemed all right. A poorly decorated hallway, a basics-only kitchen whose greatest luxury seemed to be a coffee brewer to the left, and further down the hall, a bedroom.

"Listen, I'm not sure this is a great idea," Isane said, her face cheeks reddening a little.

"So," Rangiku said, ignoring Isane's apprehension, I'll just make us some tea, or coffee- do you prefer coffee? Of course you do. I bet you drink it all the time. Good way to keep yourself awake on those late nights. She took a step toward the kitchen.

Then Nemu walked past her. Quite noticeably undressed, except for a worn shirt of Isane's. Looking a little like a zombie, she walked into the kitchen as if not even noticing Rangiku, and poured herself a mug of coffee.

"Oh." Rangiku said.

"…yeah." Isane murmured, looking rather awkward.

"What happened this time?" Rangiku said, all the cheer having dropped from her voice. She knew very well what went on in twelfth, everyone did.

"She didn't hand him something fast enough. He was in a bad mood, and broke six of her ribs." Isane murmured, pain replacing the awkwardness in her voice. Not unusually for a medical professional, she was deeply emphatic, Rangiku knew, and the situation had to be heartrending.

"It's a damn shame." Rangiku said, shaking her head.

"It's not _right_," Isane said frustratedly, whispering the words. "He built her to be resistant to pain, sure, and she heals fast, but… that doesn't make it okay. She still hurts, and…" She just shook her head helplessly.

"She's lucky to have you." Rangiku said reassuringly. "Is it… safe for her to be here? What with Captain Kurotsuchi and all…"

"When I picked her up, I made it very clear that he would have to answer to Captain Unohana if she was brought back before she healed." Isane said firmly. "He's mad, but he knows where his limits go. I just have… an hour or so, before she has to get back."

"I understand." Rangiku said solemnly. "It's… a raw deal." She felt a bit helpless; no words seemed sufficient. What went on with that madman and his so-called daughter was known to all, and nobody could really stop him. Kurotsuchi Mayuri was the finest example of what abuse could happen when the wrong person got too much power.

Isane just nodded.

"Well, at least she has you," Rangiku said, putting her hands on Isane's arms, and pulled her into a hug. "It means a lot, having somebody there for you, for better or for worse."

"Yeah, um, yeah…" Isane said tamely.

"Well, I can tell when I'm being a third wheel," Rangiku said, with a bit of forced cheer, "so I'll just get going…"

"No, please, stay," Isane said, with a small smile. "You're welcome to stay for coffee."

"You're sure?" Rangiku said. "You don't want some time to yourselves?"

"We've have plenty of that," Isane said, with a slight blush. "The more the merrier, right?"

"Well, if you're sure…" Rangiku said. She was an intrusive person, sure enough, but not insensitive.

"Come in and sit down." The voice was Nemu's, as creepily neutral as ever.

"Well, it looks like I'm staying," Rangiku said. "So tell me, how are things at the hospital?"

"Hectic, as usual," Isane said. "You know how it is, a lot of Elevens getting overeager, getting injured, and getting rowdy when we treat them…"

"Oh, isn't it _always_ the case with those brutes," Rangiku said dismissively. "If I had a coin for every time one of them got in our way…"  
Before long she was sat by Isane's kitchen table, the three of them sharing coffee. Rangiku did most of the talking, but then again, talking was one of her strengths.

In due time, Rangiku said her good-byes, and headed out. Isane was surprisingly good company, as anybody who looked past her reserved, awkward personality would find out. It was time to move on, though.  
Catching Kujo Nozomi just in time for lunch, the two of headed out to a pleasant soldier's restaurant. Not quite as extravagant as what you would find in the nobler districts outside the Gotei, but certainly appropriate enough. To the casual observer, the thirteen court guard squads would appear only as a military complex- but of course, soldiers are not always on duty, and soldiers off duty are always looking for entertainment. To that end, there was no shortage of bars, restaurants, gambling halls, and even the odd cinema here and there, spread out across the Gotei's thirteen divisions. In one of these establishments, Rangiku was now sat down with Lisanna, the two of them awaiting their orders of food, enjoying an appetizer.  
She hadn't been looking for Nozomi per se; she had literally been the first person she knew that she had found, and decided it was as good a choice as any. Rangiku was friendly, and not picky with her company.

"So what's going on with you, hmmm?" Rangiku said cheerily, casually leaning back in her chair. Officers got favourable treatment here, and that included padded, well-made armchairs.

"Oh, the same as usual," Nozomi said, shrugging. Her green hair framed her face beautifully, and Rangiku often thought that she would have no difficulty finding company if she wasn't cooped up in her lab all the time. "I am overseeing at least… four different projects?" She counted on her fingers, deep in thought. "No, five. Reiatsu microphysical measurement, molecular biology applied as… well, a lot of science stuff that probably bores you."

"Well, I definitely wouldn't understand, but I'm sure it's very important," Rangiku said diplomatically. She had never been much of a scholar, and Nozomi's position as a senior researcher in twelfth division put her in the realm of things Rangiku did not really grasp. She had done well for herself- fourth seat in a relatively short time, overseeing multiple projects…  
"Are you getting enough air, though?" Rangiku asked. "It wouldn't do to get rusty with the sword, you know." She was well aware it was a little hypocritical; she herself would not train very regularly.

Nozomi smiled. "I go on missions and patrols according to regulation, so no need to worry about that. Mostly I just order assistants around, go through data, write reports…"

"What was that I said about air, hmm?" Rangiku said teasingly.

"You could say I get as much of it as I want."

"That just might be the problem, then." Rangiku said with a smile.

"Listen…" Nozomi said seriously. "I love my job. I am an officer of the Gotei, certainly, but I'm a scientist first. We get a… bad rep, we do-" now there was the understatement of the century- "but science is the one way we are assured to make the world a better place. All of us are going to die one day, but what we've accumulated, the knowledge we found and the discoveries we made, those will last for all of history. So… I think I'm fine." She shot a small smile, as if to reassure Rangiku.

"Well!" Rangiku said, quickly smoothing things over, "consider me corrected, then. Who needs a personal life anyway?"

"That's the spirit." Nozomi said cheerily, choosing not to be offended. Few people understood.

"Ah, and I think that's our orders," Rangiku said, nodding enthusiastically. "Let's eat, shall we?"

"Let's," Nozomi said.

* * *

"Put 'em up! I said, _put 'em up!_ No slacking!"  
There was an excitable, and slightly terrified crowd of young officers, freshly graduated or promoted, who watched their vice-captain mercilessly pummel one of their own. A dozen or so were gathered in the sixth division's courtyard, watching intently.  
Abarai Renji was a rough man, although not nearly as aloof and unapproachable as their captain. He was the one you went to if you had something to say or ask- and the one you went to when you needed your ass kicked, like now.  
It was an impromptu sparring session. Two young officers had had words, which ended up with fists, and their vice-captain had caught them. Rather than chastise them and deal out punishments, he had insisted they were both doing it wrong. Both of the original offenders were already down, both barely conscious and nurturing what would be nasty bruises a day or so from now. Vice-captain Abarai was already working on his fifth officer, a twenty-something seat fresh out of the academy. Each one so far had been a volunteer, and each one so far had had more than a few regrets.

Renji threw a set of punches, simple and slow ones, the young officer managing to block the first two, but taking three quick jabs to the face. He fell over, barely keeping himself up on his arms, and looked like he was about to cry.

"Get up, Officer Shishiku." Renji demanded. "Get up right now and hit me."

"Vice-captain-" The officer started to plead, but Renji was having none of it.

"Get _up_," he demanded. "You asked for this spar, and you're damn well going to finish it. This ain't the academy, and playtime's over. You're officers, all of you, and if a small love-tap like that's too much for you, you might as well roll over and die, because the hollows and traitors out there sure won't give you this kind of waiting time. Get UP."

Nodding, at the brink of tears, Shishiku stood up.

"Now, you come at me again. You throw a feint punch, then jab me in the gut, just like I showed you. It's not advanced. Did you slack off in hand-to-hand, boy? Well?"

"…no, sir," The officer mumbled.

"And stand with confidence!" Renji said. "You'll never win if you don't think you can!"

With perhaps a bit too much gusto, Shishiku charged at Renji. As instructed, he performed the feint, and jabbed at Renji. To his surprise, the punch hit home.

"Wasn't that hard, was it?" Renji said to the shocked officer. "It takes practice and pain. Mark my word, that's what makes any shinigami any good at anything."  
Without warning, he punched him in the face, sending the young man tumbling.  
"Let that be a lesson to you not to take your eyes off the enemy," he said firmly. "Everyone's always trying to hit you, that's what you need to assume when you're fighting. Now get up!"

Grunting with pain, the officer stood up again. Renji nodded. "That's good enough. Go take a seat."

Gratefully, Shishiku shuffled off to the sides, joining his comrades. The crowd watched with fascination at their vice-captain, sharing his knowledge- through pain, indeed, but it was worth it. Renji was an admired figure, strong and hard-working, and you'd never catch the captain fraternizing like this, teaching a special move or better form.

"So, who's next?"  
There was some indecision, a few people seeming willing to learn, but not as willing to get pummeled. Finally, a young woman stepped up, looking a little terrified.  
Before a minute had passed, she was sent tumbling head-first into the dust.

Renji had changed a lot since he first joined. He had once been dependent, attached emotionally to a traitor and a fiend, but that was no longer the case. At first, he had denied it- but time and evidence had done their part, and he had come to resent her. Despise her. So it was that he sought out the sixth division, to serve under the staunch and orderly captain Kuchiki. Not out of a desire to surpass him- he had once had that childish notion. That he needed to be better than him. As if that would impress Rukia, as if that would make her want him. It was a young man's folly. No, he had sought him now because Kuchiki Byakuya was the best of the best, and to redeem himself, from being known as a student of the traitor, the best of the best was what he had to be.  
Renji had become a model officer. Not stiff or obsessed with following every little rule; he still had a little streak of punk left in him, but he had become a strict, strong officer in his own right. His hard work and talent had soon been recognized, and some ten years ago he had been promoted to vice-captain. Captain Kuchiki was as hard as he was fair, and had a meritocratic streak atypical for such an exalted nobleman. Renji had been deemed the most fit, and had risen to the occasion. If Byakuya was the strict father of a large family, Renji was its collective big brother. Life was duty, he would say, and only in death did duty end. Such hard lessons, like pain and practice, he handed out every so often, like today. The young officers always listened, and endured the odd bruise here and there.

"Vice-captain."  
The voice was quiet, soft and controlled yet masculine, the unmistakable sound of their captain. Renji stopped himself mid-punch, giving the female officer a much-needed respite, and all of them stood to attention.

"Sir," Renji said, saluting. "Instructing the newcomers on close-quarter combat, sir."

"So I can see." The captain said inscrutably. "You are all dismissed. Return to your normal duties."

Immediately, the officers scurried away, eager to obey their captain. Byakuya stared at Renji.  
"You disapprove, sir?" Renji said. His voice was controlled, calm, but there was a small hint of nervousness.

"You sent quite a few off hurting quite badly." Byakuya commented. "Some of their families have questioned whether your methods are appropriate."

"This is a military division, sir," Renji said neutrally. "Kiddie gloves is for the academy. They're all of them soldiers, and they're supposed to fight hollows and insurgents any moment we need them to. They all need serious work. They hurt, but they learn."

"You maintain that your methods are sound, then?"

"Unless you disagree, sir, yeah." Renji said flatly. "Pain's a part of life. So's dying. They need to learn the first and the second one both. They're officers, the upper tier of the division, and they owe it to you, to themselves and to the Gotei to be the best that they can be."

Byakuya stayed silent, looking at his subordinate. It was subtle, but the man had a way of getting to people.  
"So what's your opinion, sir?" Renji said, after a short while.

"That you have trained a fair share of strong warriors in your time here. I am not concerned with the whimpering of oversensitive noble families with an over-inflated sense of self-importance."

"Oh." Renji said, a bit surprised. "Well. Good." He scratched his head. "…if you don't mind my asking, what did you want, then? Sir?"

"We have a mission. Tonight. The both of us." Byakuya said.

"What is it, then?"

Byakuya told him.

"Well, _shit,_" Renji said.

A model officer, but some edges you just can't shave off.

* * *

Rodrigo Sentry took a slow puff on one of his cheap cigarettes, leaned back in a no-nonsense office chair in a manner that was not quite non-nonsensical enough to not contrast with the Spartan, optimized look of the room. This office had been quite different when Omaeda Marechiyo had inhabited it. That slovenly idiot, best characterized by his fat, stocky frame, and even fatter head, had not used this officer for years now. Everyone, except perhaps Omaeda himself, knew that he had only held his position out of nepotism; although a capable enough fighter, he was completely lacking in every quality a high ranking officer should possess. When Rod, hard-working and driven by a neurotic need to achieve, had come along- then, at last, captain Soifon had had enough of playing nice with the Marechiyos, and promptly demoted him.  
So the office had gone from a gaudy display of rich colours, thick rugs and gold ornaments, to simple, neat bookshelves filled with files and books, a modest desk, and its one luxury- a simple couch.

At this moment, Rod was in no particular hurry. The further up the chain you were, the more administrative work you had to mind, and he avoided using secretaries or deputies as much as possible. Second division had a tendency to make you paranoid, particularly if you were in the stealth corps. He had a stack of paperwork to go through, but it was not urgent- although a boring and somewhat tedious chore, he knew he could go through it efficiently well within the expected deadline. Here, to himself, he indulged in his one vice- cheap tobacco- while thinking to himself.

Like, for example, how bizarrely simple it was to hide things from the one agency made for the purpose of finding things out. For years, he had kept track of Erza, and for years, there had been report from scouts and various measuring equipment about her activities in Karakura town. If she had been trained in the stealth corps, like he, she would have known that the best way to not be found was to keep a low profile, and never stay too long in one place- and as was her nature, she had done the opposite.  
The first time he had intercepted a report, and 'lost' it, his heart had skipped several beats every time a superior addressed him, for months afterward. But nothing had ever come of it. As he lost, misplaced, or sometimes even destroyed evidence of her presence, he realized it was alarmingly easy to hide things, because even trained spies didn't seem to look among their own ranks with mistrust.  
His biggest achievement in that department had been the quincy incident. It was a miracle she hadn't been identified immediately, and Rod had pulled many favours to cover up and distort the incident. Officially it was listed as a quincy skirmish, with any and all mention of shinigami expunged. It had been at considerable risk he did this- had he been found out, he would have been tried for treason and likely executed.  
Rod was not disloyal. You didn't dedicate yourself to murder and spying if you didn't believe what you were doing was important, or justified. But to him, it had always been simple. She had saved his life, physically and mentally, and that meant it was worth it. Rod was not disloyal, and that was why he had committed multiple acts of treason without hesitation.

The nature of her disappearance, too, had given him purpose. He knew somebody had framed her, and to this day only he, Lisanna Strauss and Hinamori Momo believed in her innocence, because the case had been solid. Too solid. Too neatly laid out, with all the right evidence, easily found and provided. Usually that just meant the implicated party was guilty, but not she- he knew better.  
So he had kept an eye out over the years. Little irregularities, forming a pattern. Various shifts of power. Strange reports from the Rukon. Unexplained mysteries. What he had put together was conspiracy theory, and he knew it- but being paranoid didn't mean you were wrong. What he had found over the years, however circumstantial, had convinced him. There was a hidden power at work in the Gotei, most likely a most empowered high ranking officer, maybe even a vice-captain or a captain, working toward some unknown goal, most likely sinister. This unknown had framed Erza, left her to rot, and that was all he knew with any certainty.  
But now, things had changed. As of late, Erza's energies had stirred, and mixed with something else, something new. What else, Kuchiki Rukia had gone missing some time ago, and a warrant for her arrest had been issued. Something, Rod knew, would happen soon. _What_ exactly he couldn't be sure of, but he had an idea. Doing incredibly stupid, incredibly brave things was Erza's style, and Rukia- a long-time friend, despite her likely not reciprocating the feeling- being taken in unjustly would not go over well.

Only he, Lisanna Strauss, and Hinamori Momo believed in her. Only he knew she might be coming back. He would have shared the information, except it was an unnecessary risk, something to save until it was time. He only wished Hinamori wasn't such an idiot about it- while he and Strauss had kept their mouths shut, kept a low profile, she had loudly proclaimed her belief in a convicted traitor, multiple times. There was an ongoing investigation on her, a running file accumulating information in the case of treason, including a standing kill order just in case. She had no idea. She had grown explosively in terms of power and skill, compared to her old self- but she was still naïve, still careless, still ignorant.

Snapping out of his ponderings, Rod put out his cigarette in an ash tray, and began to go through his paperwork with meticulous efficiency. He had work to do- at the division, and later. _She_ was coming back, and the right people had to be informed.

* * *

Thrust, stab, parry, counterattack, thrust, slash- there was a soothing rhythm to it. Lisanna swung her _shinai_ with practiced precision, the bamboo practice sword just barely failing to hit her opponent. Hisagi Shuhei was a skilled opponent, and although considerably junior compared to herself, a worthy match.  
Lisanna had the advantage of experience, though, and his style was somewhat predictable. Formal, skilled, well-practiced- but a little predictable. With a quick thrust forward, the point of her sword slammed into his forehead, and Hisagi staggered back.

"Point." He said, keeping his voice neutral, but she could tell he was a little irked. He was known to be professional, cool, but there was a streak of pride in him. Something he most likely considered a flaw.

"That puts the score at what, hmm?" Lisanna said, almost playfully.

"Twenty-one to sixteen in your favour, senpai." Shuhei said, his tone short. Too polite to say that she damn well knew, and was teasing him, of course. He was one of Erza's kids, and it showed in many ways. Stubbornly loyal, dedicated, skilled and devoted to his division. Where Renji had sought to be the best, Shuhei was a different kind of model officer; doing his damnedest not to prove anything to himself, but out of a selfless devotion to the Gotei, to his division, to the men and women under his command, following the example of his stoic captain.  
An impressive officer. And also, on another note, kind of cute.

"Go again?" Lisanna said, circling the practice ground. They were in division thirteen, her home ground, in a private lodge for the highest ranked officers.

Shuhei simply nodded, eager to fight again. Just like his one-time mentor, he did not know when to give up. Lisanna was happy to oblige him. He was nearly at her own level, and made for good, challenging practice. She, of course, had risen to the top tiers of vice-captains with time. Her power and skill had been carefully nurtured over her many decades of service. Enough so, in fact, that it had earned her the rank of vice-captain here in thirteenth, Ukitake Jushiro finally deciding that the spot should not be vacant any longer. It was a lot of hard work, and Lisanna often found excuses to lead excursions into the Rukon, or the Living World, to purge hollows- risking life and limb was far more preferable than being cooped up in an office, filling in forms and reports.  
She had come a long way since she first came here. The innocent, sweet girl from fairy tail had not died, not entirely, but she had hardened. The old Lisanna Strauss was a memory now, and vice-captain Strauss was who she was today, a strong, stern leader with a penchant for (appropriately sanctioned) violence. She didn't think of herself as stiff, but she was certainly the harder part of thirteen's leadership- captain Ukitake was not irresponsible or weak, but he was rather like a kitten compared to his more stern or dangerous colleagues, and Lisanna had often found herself needing to play the bad cop. Not that she minded.

Again Shuhei came in, in a vicious set of thrusts. She just barely kept up, but she knew what was coming- a set of hard, fast attacks designed to put her on the defensive, followed by a feint. With relative ease, she anticipated the attack, caught his sword as it went low, and simply head-butted him. Shuhei staggered back, a small look of frustration passing his face. He knew better than to complain that it was not according to formal rules. Much like Erza, Lisanna was a firm believer in real-life techniques, in being ready for everything, because battle was never as smooth or simple as a formal spar or duel.

"Twenty-two." She said simply, and shot him a smile.

"Yes, senpai." Shuhei said. Sweat was trailing down his forehead and arms- that sleeveless uniform really suited him.

"Again?"

He nodded.

"Good lad."

* * *

On the surface, Aizen Sousuke looked calm and ready, alert yet collected. Behind his desk, in his office, everything seemed quite normal, without any need for illusion.  
But underneath, he was plagued with an almost childish urgency, an ache in his very being to be elsewhere- to sit on his throne, to command his army of monsters, standing in the light as the conqueror, the lord-to-be of all of the afterlife. The charade that he had kept alive for centuries would soon, very soon- not soon enough- be null and void, and he would finally be able to stop pretending. The prospect filled him with excitement, anxiety, a number of emotions he typically considered himself above. Calm and focus, it seemed, were things you learned to maintain, rather than a natural state of character. A few more weeks- perhaps a month, and then the appropriate formalities would be at the minimum requirements. Executions took a long time to pass; they were considered a grave and momentous occasion.  
_Of course,_ a small, irritably rational voice said, _you could just find her, take her, and extract the orb in the peace and quiet of Hueco Mundo._  
There was reason to that plan. To gain what he wanted, to keep his cover intact, secretly build up his army, and strike while the Gotei's guard was down. It would be the most ruthlessly pragmatic thing to do, the one with the greatest chance of success.  
But, Aizen knew, he didn't _want_ to. He was going to create a new world order, one of grandeur, excellence and magnificence. He was going to cast away the old order, take in the ones willing to accept his new ways, and destroy the ones stubbornly dedicated to true progress. It was not just a battle of soldiers, but a battle of ideas. This demanded a formal declaration of war. Perhaps it was not the most viciously practical idea- but he wanted them to see it coming. He wanted them to know their failure, to know they were made obsolete, to know that their arrogance and pride had blinded them. He would step into the light, for all to see, and then… he would feel complete.  
That, and he frankly couldn't stand this life. Hiding who he truly was for all this time, smiling and pretending, to be awake and see every problem the worlds had- and to be surrounded by the intellectually inept, people too content and settled down to want to acknowledge the glaring, obvious problems of their world. It grated on him. He had hidden himself to achieve a greater objective, but his patience was running out. To spend further years posing as a blinded idiot, among a society of blinded idiots, was utterly intolerable.

He would step into the light. He would face the Gotei, head on, and kill its valiant defenders. He would create a new world order, and once it was done, he would rule over both Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society, like a god-emperor of soulkind.

The thought pleased him, and he smiled.

"Ah, hello captain. Is there something amusing?"

Aizen turned to look at the source of the cheery, almost chirping voice. He had left the door open, and in the doorway stood his loyal vice-captain, Hinamori Momo.

"Nothing at all, Hinamori," Aizen said, effortlessly sliding into his idiot-faced disguise, despite his unwillingness to do so. "I was simply reflecting on the progress of our division. We have done well as of late, and it pleases me."

"That's right!" Hinamori said happily. "Things run very smoothly these days. The worst we get are a few complaints, or misdemeanors among the rank-and-file. You probably run the best division in the Gotei, except perhaps for the First."  
Of _course_ he ran the best division. Despite his loathing for the order of things, Aizen had pride- or rather, his very existence _was_ pride. A sloppy job would be untolerable.

"Oh, I don't know about that," he said meekly. "I think the captain of sixth might have a few things to say about that."

"Honestly, he is _such_ a slave-driver," Momo huffed, in a small display of localized patriotism. "You run a tighter ship, without acting like some stone-faced statue. No offence to captain Kuchiki," she added hastily.

Hinamori was a bit of an oddity, Aizen mused. When first he had met her, he had seen a naïve, impressionable girl just waiting to find somebody to adore. Talented, but severely blinded, a perfect example that intelligence and skill did not translate to wisdom or vision. He had recruited her specifically because of that impressionability- a particularly compliant vice-captain suited his cover best, one that would never question him. Of course, she never had, loyal to the core as she was- but curiously, she had resisted his attempts to manipulate her for the most part. She still regarded him as a paragon and a hero, of course, but his attempt to subtly brainwash her had not gone through. Not that he had put that much effort into it; it had been more of a game, a way to exercise his skills.  
The explanation, of course, was amusingly ironic. Her obsessive mind already had a fixation, a purpose, one that had driven her in another direction: Erza Scarlet, that pet project gone wrong.  
Still, Hinamori was almost endearing, in her ways. He thought of her fairly highly, for somebody unenlightened- rather like a well-trained dog, really.  
He also knew all about her little trips to the Rukon. Seeking out an old heretic deserter to learn his theories was an interesting choice indeed, and strangely out of character. Aizen had almost been tempted to seek him out himself, but had ultimately decided against it- it was of no interest to him, and his own experiments were much more fulfilling.

"I don't think he minds," he replied, with a hearty chuckle. "But let's not forget you have a lot of credit to take as well. I couldn't run this place half as well without you."  
A bit of an exaggeration, but feeding her ego never hurt. He saw her cheeks flush, and knew he had succeeded.

"I'm just doing my best, really." She said, almost shyly. "It's no big deal."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Aizen said, keeping a smile on his face. "It wouldn't surprise me if you wore a _haori_ some time in the future."

"Captain, don't tease!" Hinamori chided him.

"Who says I am teasing?" Aizen said, his tone deliberately teasing. Playing this game was sort of petty- but with his ascension so close yet so far away, he would take any distraction.

"A-anyway," Hinamori said, still a bit red in the face, "I brought the reports for last month's terminator missions. No casualties, sixty-three missions carried out, for a total of one hundred and twenty-seven hollows purged. We finished third after divisions one and eleven."

"Excellent results," Aizen said. "Put them on my desk, and I will review them."

Quickly, Hinamori obeyed.

"Don't let me detain you," Aizen said. It was a polite way of saying 'get out', and she got the hint. Smiling at him, she leaved.

Aizen watched her walk away. In a detached sort of way, he wondered what would become of her. She would be devastated, probably. Perhaps it would be kinder to kill her before it was time? After all, she would be an enemy once he waged his war. Aizen shrugged, and dismissed the thought. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't. In a small way, it felt difficult- putting down a good pet did not come easy, even when the rationale was solid.

* * *

It was evening, and Momo was headed back to her quarters. She had finished her duties for the day, and run a small errand- buying a few new teas. A nice, warm pot of tea, and she'd get into bed, maybe read a little before going to sleep.  
Lost in thought as she was, she did not see it coming when a pair of strong hands grabbed her, one clamping over her mouth and the other twisting an arm behind her back, quickly pulling her into an alleyway. Momo twisted and flailed, trying to scream through the fingers of this attacker, her free hand reaching for her sword, but a kido flew out, wrapping around her wrist, holding it in place. Her mind was overwhelmed with fear- who was this? What was he going to do? A number of scenarios rapidly raced through her mind, each one more horrifying than the next. Then a low, quiet, slightly raspy voice said,

"Keep still. I'm not going to rape, kill or abduct you. I just need to talk."

Momo managed a somewhat angry, somewhat terrified 'Mmmmmph'.

"I'm going to let go of your mouth. Don't scream. Keep quiet. It's important- it's about Erza."

The voice was no-nonsense, neutral- and somewhat familiar. The pressure over her mouth eased, and Momo complied. She was in no mind to scream for help- unless this attacker had something good to say, she would set his head on fire and make it burn to ash. Slowly the grip on her arm eased, and Momo quickly turned around. It was Rod Sentry, the vice-captain of second.

"What the hell are you doing?" She hissed.

"Debriefing. I made sure nobody would be watching."

"You lunatic, have you ever considered just talking to people? Like a normal person?" Momo said angrily.

"Keep it down." Rod said, his face steely. "This is sensitive. Nobody else must know."

"You said it was about Erza?" Momo said, her curiosity winning out over her anger.

"She's likely to come back soon." Rod said plainly. "Naturally, you didn't hear that from me. In fact, you didn't hear it at all, and if anybody around you gets the impression that you did, you will be investigated for treason. Understood?"

"Lunatic!" Momo hissed again. "But… she's coming back?"

"Need-to-know only." Rod said. "For reasons relating to an old friend of hers, she may or may not come back to the soul society. When she does, she will make a ruckus. She will need friends."

"Friends?" Momo said blinking. "You mean- wait, you are on her side? You know she's innoce-"

Quickly, Rod clasped a hand over her mouth again.  
"The way you say that so loudly is why nobody else told you." He said coldly. "Yes, she has friends. I already slipped a note to Lisanna Strauss. I'm contacting you in person because I need to make sure you don't fly off the handle. Be ready this coming month- and don't let it show."

"She's really… coming back?" Momo said, a little overwhelmed. The notion of it was like an emotional landslide, a flood sweeping over her mind.

"Maybe not." Rod said. "Either way she will need us. Can I trust you to keep quiet?"

"A-as a mouse!" Momo said emphatically, her anger having washed away.

"For what it's worth, you were right." Rod said. "Somebody did frame her."

"I knew she wouldn't-" Momo began, but Rod cut her off.

"That's enough chit-chat. Keep your head down, and I'll do the same. When the moment comes, do what you think is right- but don't be stupid about it. _Think_. That's all I ask."

"Umm, of course," Momo started. "I promise I will-"

But Rod had leaped onto a wall, and propelled himself to a roof, and from there slipped down onto another alley nearby, vanishing in the span of a few seconds. Momo sighed. Those stupid stealth corpsmen…  
But the frustration was nothing compared to the elation. She was coming back. Her Erza was coming back, and she would need help. All her training, all her hard work, it would finally pay off. She balled her fists, and a firm look crossed her face.  
_I'll be ready,_ she thought. _I won't let her down._

* * *

**Its Ironic isnt it? As we just prepare to begin to Write Bleachs most well known, and considered by many to be its best, arc, the original cannon is ending. Its not ending how we WANT it to end, but it is ending.**

**Im...Still trying to accept that its happening this way. Now, dont get me wrong, I was so happy to see Momo one last time, So happy ro see that Rukia became a captain of the 13th division, so happy that alot of the characters I love got a happy ending.**

**But the knowledge that this ending is so clearly being rushed, so many questions that we the readers still have, so many Bankais unknown, that I cant say im 100% satisfied.**

**Admittedly****, For an ending that was given only 6 chapters, I think its done well, and I should be happy it was a decent as it was...But I know, and we ALL know that this isnt the ending we we're promised, that we wanted. **

**I'm praying that the special news is the anime returning, so we can get a REAL ending or perhaps a sequel, just SOMETHING.**

**However, regardless of what happens, Im happy that ive found Bleach as a series. Ive enjoyed it for 8 years, and while its far from perfect, Ill always remember and enjoy the good times it gave me. **

**However, I promise all of you readers that we will deliver a story that all of you will enjoy, a satisfying ending, and a great tale full of fun and adventure! **

**The soul society arc will be quite a bit different from the cannon version. Erza's presence is bound to do so, but the addition of Tatsuki, Orihime's new powers, as well as various other things will undoubtedly bring you all new and fun experiences. **

**With that all said, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please feel free to leave a review though, we greatly enjoy reader feedback. **


	34. A Friend Never Meant To Belong

**Well folks...This is it. The end of the substitute soul reaper arc, and the beginning of the soul society arc. Ive been wanting to get to this point in the story for so long now...Its hard to believe that we're here. Im very happy in regards to that.**

**However, the truth of the matter is that its bitter sweet, that as of now, the canon of the original story has ended. The ending has left many people upset, and for very good reasons. There are unanswered questions, important ones at mythos of the soul king, Aizens motivations, the war that the soul reapers and quincys fought 1000 years ago. All of that is left unknown, and its a damn shame.**

**However,...Im not mad with this ending. Disappointed yes, but not mad. Fact is, for what it is, I actually like it. The problems with the ending of Bleach is with what we DIDN'T get, not what we did. **

**I for one was super happy that Rukia was promoted to Captain. She deserves it. Im just as equally happy to see all the characters I like happy, alive and well. Ichigo's all grown up now, and he's happily married with Orihime with a absolutely adorable son. The same can be said with Rukia and Renji. Uryu is the had doctor now, Chad a world famous boxer, and the other members of Ichigo's group seem quite happy.**

**It sucks that we didnt see Isshin, Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Grimjow one last time I admit, it sucks that the final battle only lasted two chapters. But Kubo did the best he could with 6 chapters. This was clearly a rushed ending and not how he intended to end the series. The guy has made many mistakes in writing Bleach, but i cant see him being happy with ending it this way.****Its a rushed ending, and as far as rushed endings go, its not bad. I'm not saying that negates all the problems it has, I'm not saying you shouldn't be upset. By all means, I get it, because im upset too. I WANT all those answers and were not getting it because the ending was rushed. It SUCKS. It REALLY sucks.**

**All i'm saying, is that this was as good as it possibility could have been with just 6 chapters. No one could have written a satisfying conclusion with that amount of chapters. So, until the anime eventually returns, I'm personally willing to take it for what it is, and not for what it isnt. Bleach has been such an important part of my life for the last 8 years, given me so many characters that I love and enjoy...and I'm not going to stop loving it over this.**

**Thank you, Kubo. Thank you Bleach for 8 amazing years. Its been fun.**

**I do promise you though that we WILL give you answers, you WILL find out about the soul king, you WILL get all the bankais, and you will get a proper resolution.**

**However, I need to address something right here, right now. If your reading this story in hopes of seeing Ichiruki since you didn't get it in cannon...I'm sorry,, but your not going to get that here ether. I don't want to mislead you for 12 more chapters only for you to find out then. If your reading this with the hope of that ship happening, I want you to know right now, its not going to happen.**

**This isnt because I have anything against said paring. I think its fine, i really have no complaints...I just feel that Ichihime is something that makes more sense in context of this story in particular. This isnt JUST because they ended up in cannon. I had this planned from the very beginning. I just feel the two of them have a better connection and chemistry in regards to this story. I know we havent done any real development with it yet. Don't worry though, that's on purpose.**

**That'****s not to say that Ichigo and Rukia wont have a special bond in this story. Those two will always be close friends. The relationship between them is something i cherish as a fan of Bleach, and I promise you all, it wont be going anywhere. If anything, i feel their connection as friends works far better than as romance. If you like the pairing and want it to happen, more power to you, Its just not going to happen here.**

**So, with that all said...I give you, the end of the substitute arc, and the beginning of soul society. P****lease enjoy and leave yours thoughts in a review.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

"Are you sure it will be okay?" Rukia said, a hint of anxiety in her voice, as she and Ichigo made their way up to the front door of the Kurosaki residence.

"Oh, come on," Ichigo said reassuringly. "With how big of an impact you made on my life, you could at least meet my family. Mom and dad already know, so there's no need to put on a show."

He had managed to convince her, with some effort, to come in for dinner one afternoon. Ichigo himself wasn't a social animal, but he figured it was a good enough idea. For the time being, she was part of his life, and she might as well get to know his loved ones.  
Ichigo went to open the door, but was showed up by his youngest sister Yuzu, who had no doubt watched them walking up the street. Cheerily she opened the door, ushering Rukia inside.

"Come in, come in!" She said excitably. "You're Kuchiki Rukia, yes? So nice to meet you!"

"Ah, yes, er, nice," Rukia said, feeling a little overwhelmed as Yuzu shook her hand energetically. "My, aren't you… lively."

"Come on, I'll introduce you to the others," Yuzu said, either ignoring or not hearing Rukia's comment. Tugging at Rukia's hand, she all but dragged her toward the living room.

"Is she always this…" Rukia whispered, making a gesture with her head.

"She's just excited because you're from the afterlife." Ichigo said, and shrugged. "She loves those things."

"You told her?" Rukia hissed.

"Mom did, actually," Ichigo said. "Figured after my whole transformation and that big fight she had with Erza, it would be hypocritical to let me know all this stuff but keep my sisters in the dark. Karin's still skeptical, but Yuzu was overjoyed."

"Guys, they're here!" Yuzu said happily, finally letting go of Rukia. They were in the living room, where Karin was sat on a couch, playing some sports game on her playstation, and Isshin was just relaxing in a comfortable chair. Masaki was nowhere to be seen, although she could be heard well enough, stirring in the kitchen.

"Hi." Karin said unemphatically, not taking her eyes off the screen. Isshin, however, was every bit her opposite, standing up with a look of dorky cheer on his face.

"Ah, Rukia!" He said, putting his beer down and holding his arms out. "So here's the woman I can thank for making a man out of my boy, eh?"  
Rukia hadn't met any of them before, not in person, but had gotten the impression that Isshin was a bit of a loudmouth. His reputation did not disappoint.

"Dad, shut up," Ichigo said bluntly.

"Aww, am I embarrassing you in front of your little friend?" Isshin said with a grin. "Come on in, I'll bust out the baby pictures!"

"Dad!" Ichigo snarled angrily, and Isshin burst into laughter.

"Just hassling you, son. So, you're Rukia, eh? We've heard great things about you."

"Er, yes," Rukia said, somewhat sheepishly. "That's me."  
It was a little awkward, lame jokes aside, to come in here. No matter what Erza would say about how Ichigo was bound for this kind of fate anyhow, she couldn't help but feel she had brought him into this- into a world of danger. Facing his family… filled her with guilt. Irrational guilt, but emotion does not care about rationality.  
_But,_ something else in her mind noted, the more astute, soldierly part of her, _haven't I seen that face before?_

She took a closer look. Isshin. Isshin, that was the name of… that had been the name of Kaien's clan head. Kaien, who looked like he was Ichigo's twin brother. _Shiba Isshin_, she realized, that was a familiar name.  
Perhaps noticing the look on her face, Isshin said,

"We're all very excited to have you here. Aside from Erza, we've never met a real shinigami before. We don't know anything about that at all, you see,"  
Rukia could swear she saw him wink, and took a deep breath.

"Y-yes. Of course, yes."

"Well, feel free to make yourself at home," He said heartily. "Or perhaps Ichigo would like to give you a guided tour of his room? We'll give you some privacy if-"

"DAD!" Ichigo growled.

"For pete's sake, dad, leave it alone," Karin muttered. "Just because you have children, it doesn't mean you have to try to embarrass them."

"Betrayal!" Isshin jeered dramatically. "My own flesh and blood, turning against me!"

"We do it all the time, because you're being an idiot." Karin said coldly. She paused her game, and looked at Rukia. "Hi."

"Hi," Rukia said tamely, waving at her.

"So you're the alleged shinigami, then?"

"Usually, yes. At the moment, no. It's complicated."

Karin stood up, leaned her head to the side, and gave her a skeptical look.

"Can you prove it?"

"Pardon?" Rukia said.

"Proof. I mean, I'm suddenly being told to reject everything I know about science, reason and logic, and I'm not seeing much good evidence. Do you have any proof?"

"…no?" Rukia said lamely.

"Ignore her. Most girls her age find some dumb idol or put on black clothes and crap, but she's turned into a skeptic." Ichigo said, and rolled his eyes.

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Karin proclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, and-" Ichigo began. Their argument-to-be was cut short, however, by Masaki's voice calling to them from the kitchen.

"Dinner's ready, you guys. Come get it while it's hot!"

Almost immediately, Isshin and Yuzu got up, and Karin followed suit, although she gave Ichigo a glare.

"When she calls, you go," Ichigo said, and followed the others. "Sort of how it works around here."

"Right." Rukia said. The Kurosakis were a colourful bunch- it was funny to think that Ichigo seemed to be the most normal one.

"So, Rukia," Yuzu said excitably, as the six of them sat down around the table, Yuzu having put herself next to Rukia, "can you tell us about the afterlife?"

"Yuzu, take it easy," Masaki said, in a motherly tut-tut. "At least wait till the food is served before you start pestering our guest."

"All right…" She said, seeming a bit disappointed.

The food, it turned out, was a rich fish stew of some sort, served with sticky rice. Masaki was an excellent cook, Rukia had to admit as she took her first few bites. It was painfully obvious, though, that Yuzu was not going to let this go. She was staring at Rukia like a kid at Christmas.

"She's a soldier, Yuzu," Ichigo said. "They can't just go around telling people about how things work on the other side. It's uh, classified and stuff."

"Right," Rukia said, grateful for the assist. "Classified."

"Really?" Yuzu said, and the look of disappointment in her face was like a knife twisting in Rukia's chest.

"Of course, um, there are _some_ things I could say…" Rukia relented.  
She explained in brief about the soul society, about souls and hollows, avoiding any specific details- Gotei protocol forbade this sort of thing strictly, but she was already breaking more than a few rules as it was.  
"…and that's why a plus soul has a chain," Rukia finished.

"Whoa…" Yuzu said, her mouth a neat O.

"I bet she can't present empirical evidence to back any of that up," Karin huffed.

"We have plenty of science, actually," Rukia said. "We're not really _magic_, if you think about it. Just… differently physical."

"Interesting." Karin said. Her eyes were skeptically narrowed still, and Rukia doubted she had convinced her.

"But, er, I actually wanted to ask," she said, turning to Masaki, quickly changing the topic, "I'm surprised I was actually invited."

"Why is that?" Masaki said innocently.

"I hope this isn't going to ruin the mood but… I was told of how you felt about Ichigo being part of this." Rukia said. Ichigo gave her an unmistakable look, one that clearly said _shut up,_ but Rukia continued. "It was an accident, you see. Er…"

Masaki sighed. "Yes, I had quite an outburst back then…"

"That's putting it mildly." Isshin said bluntly. He received a glare for his troubles, and promptly shut his mouth.

"I was… doing something foolish." Masaki said. The words sounded a little forced, as if she was loath to admit it- but admit it, she did. "I've had time to adjust now. It's for the best, even if I don't like that he has to do it. At any rate… if you hadn't been there, it would have been a lot worse."

_He would have been dead,_ Rukia thought, remembering Ichigo's words._That counts for something._

"I'm glad, then," Rukia said, awkwardly taking another bite from her plate.

"It runs in the blood. No helping it. My past with the spiritual was not… very pleasant. At any rate, Ichigo has two good tutors now- he'll be fine."  
Ichigo looked a bit awkward, seeming embarrassed at the notion of being praised by his mother in front of somebody else.

"He's really quite good," Rukia assured her.

"That's my boy, kicking ass and taking names!" Isshin said.  
It made sense, when you thought about it. With a quincy for a mother and a captain for a father… it really did run in the blood.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Ichigo grumbled.

"Don't be modest, boy!" Isshin cheered. "You've a gift, and if you keep working hard, you could get any girl you want!"

"He's still getting an education and a job," Masaki said firmly. "The spiritual may be real, but so is everything else."

"Yeah, yeah…" Ichigo muttered. His mother was a very determined woman, it seemed. Rukia couldn't blame her. With a goofball father like that, and the weight of his new power weighing down on him, it might be what he needed. She smiled, as she watched them talk, bicker and converse while eating. This was family, of an entirely different kind from what she was used to. She found she did not mind it.

* * *

The ground shook, with Chad's ferocious punch slamming into the ground of the vast basement. Ichigo nimbly took one, two, three skips backward, his sword held at the ready. As the giant charged in, passionately roaring out, Ichigo dashed to the side, catching him in the side with a fist. Chad staggered back, and Ichigo took the opportunity to put him on defense, lashing out with a series of wild, fast cuts.

Not far from there, Orihime flung one blast after another at Uryu, who was dodging each shot easily. The young quincy had softened a bit as of late, in no small part thanks to his patient, loving aunt, and had volunteered to help. As a result, Orihime was getting a stronger and stronger grasp of her powers, a deeper understanding of it, while Uryu was learning to deal with a different kind of style.

Just in sight, past a large boulder, Tatsuki was running series after series of quick hits and strikes against her not-sensei, who patiently stopped every now and then to give her student feedback. The staff had initially been difficult, but once she had picked up the basics, she had turned out a natural, mixing her already significant martial arts skills with her new weapon.

Rukia watched all of it with interest, alongside Erza. It was not just Ichigo who had come a long way in a short time, but his friends too, now that they were all part of this as more than just bystanders. It was fascinating to watch, and she began to understand the appeal of mentorship- to impact somebody else, to make them something better, to build a lot from a little. To plant a seed, and watch it grow…  
Erza, who occasionally would bark out an order or a comment, probably wouldn't put it quite so poetically, but there was no mistaking her dedication.

Life was funny. One day, you're out on your first ever living-world on the assignment. The next thing you know, you're powerless and watching a bunch of teenagers do things it took officers decades to learn. What was worse, Rukia realized, was that she had started thinking of them as friends. She had gotten to know most of them fairly well- Ichigo and his gruff demeanour and begrudging decency, Orihime and her bizarre combination of intelligence, compassion and lack of a grasp on reality, Tatsuki and her dogged, stubborn dedication to becoming something better… even Chad and Uryu, neither of whom were very approachable, had somehow ingratiated themselves to her. They were a group of friends. Not always merry, not always getting along, but always there for each other.

Life was funny, and deeply unfair. Because she knew it couldn't last. At most, it would take another month before her lack of reports would become pressing enough to investigate, if they hadn't already. She would be taken back, her powers retrieved, and that would be that. If they were lucky, the Gotei would just take his powers and not investigate the matter further. If not… she didn't want to think about it.  
And even if she could ever come back to see them, she was shinigami and they were human, and from that perspective humans were as mayflies. Without even factoring in unnatural causes, diseases, childhood deaths, humans lived on average seventy-and-some years. A shinigami could live, in theory, forever. They aged, albeit so slowly that not one of them had ever died of natural causes. Rukia herself was over a hundred and fifty. In a decade, all of them would have graduated, gotten jobs, families… and a few more decades, they'd be raising a new generation. Another decade or two, and they would be dead. And it would seem like the blink of an eye. There was an afterlife, sure, but it was vast and often impossible to navigate. Before too long, she would have gone away from them, and she might never see them again.

Rukia snapped herself out of her melancholy. This was no time for ennui. When you had eternity- or rather, serving until you were violently killed- ahead of you, the best you could do was enjoy the moment. She smiled again, and watched Ichigo and Chad fight, both of them seeming tireless.  
_So far,_ she thought, _They've come so far. I hope it will be enough._

The message came that very same night. She lay restless in her bed, Orihime having fallen asleep at least an hour ago. Erza was still in the basement, doing some late night training, and wouldn't be back till late. It was then when the hell butterfly flapped in, passing through the glass of the window as if it were nothing. For but a second, she thought it was a stray moth. Almost immediately, though, she recognized it, the unmistakable shape of the all-black little entity. The messenger of shinigami, and the most foreboding way possible to pass a simple message along. Trembling a little inside, she sat up in her bed, and extended her hand so that it could land on her finger. With its light touch, the words flowed into her mind.  
_Kuchiki Rukia, thirteenth division, unseated. Reported for multiple infractions, including failure to report, absence, meddling with mortals. You will be found and brought in for questioning. You will rendezvous with Gotei officers at your nearest rally point. Failure to comply will be added to the list of charges._

Rukia was wide awake now, totally alert. Rendezvous. There were several places designated, one not far from here. No matter what, she realized, she could not let herself be found here, or anywhere near hew new friends. No time for goodbyes, no time for anything- hastily, she discarded her pajamas, put her clothes on, and rushed downstairs. After clumsily putting her shoes on, she quickly headed outside, hoping Orihime hadn't heard anything. She did not have time to explain, no time for goodbyes- she just had to get away.  
Part of her knew they would still have to find Ichigo, to sever the spiritual links that held her power in his body. She cursed inwardly, hoping he wouldn't do anything stupid- but no matter the case, it was out of her hands now. Jogging at the slow, weak pace of a human, she headed out into the night.

* * *

Kuchiki Byakuya stepped out of the _senkaimon_, Renji following closely behind him. The gateway closed, and gracefully, the two of them descended the twenty or so yards down to ground level.

"Do you sense her?" Byakuya asked. He was more than capable of finding her himself, he knew, but he preferred to let his junior officer do the work- the more experience he could garner, the better.

"Not yet, no," Renji mumbled, looking around. "Checking the rally points- wait, there!"

Rukia saw them from afar. At first she didn't believe her eyes- but the reiatsu signature was unmistakable. Her own noble brother, having come for her personally? Along with… Renji? Her jog slowed to a walk as she got closer.

"Well, look at that," Renji said neutrally. "So you came willingly after all?"

"Of course I did," Rukia said. "I'm not some rogue."

"Sure hope so," Renji said. His voice was gruff, and he seemed a little angry. Roughly, he grabbed her by the arm.

But then there was an arrow, a projectile of light, swirling past them. It nearly hit Renji in the head, missing it only by a millimeter.

"The things you see late at night," Uryu said, standing further down the street. He wasn't wearing his quincy uniform, likely having come here in a rush, despite how cool he tried to seem. "I just so happen to run an errand for sewing equipment, and two shinigami brigands assault a defenseless girl. What new lows won't you stoop to?"

"Butt out before I cave your face in, shithead," Renji snarled. "This don't concern you."

"On the contrary," Uryu said, stringing his bow with another arrow, "I think it does."

"You fool!" Rukia cried out. "Leave it alone! You'll get yourself killed!"

"On my honour as a gentleman, on my honour as a quincy, I cannot," Uryu said stubbornly.

"Deal with it." Byakuya said, his voice quiet and firm.

"You got it," Renji said, letting go of Rukia. "Buddy, you asked for it." Slowly he pulled out his zanpakutou, and took a step forward.

* * *

Erza felt it almost the instant it happened. The gateway opening, and two sources of immense reiatsu, not even bothering to mask themselves. She knew both signatures well- captain Kuchiki Byakuya and her old student, Abarai Renji. Elsewhere, and closing, the signature of Uryu Ishida. And not far away, Ichigo's signature, leaving his house and heading out, no doubt toward the new arrivals. Immediately, she sheathed her zanpakutou, and made her way toward the ladder up.

"Where are you going?"  
It was the voice of Urahara Kisuke, blocking her way.

"They're coming. You felt it too." Erza said bluntly. "She might need help. Uryu's on the way, and he might do something stupid. Ichigo's on the way, too, and he will _definitely_ do something stupid."

"They're going to retrieve Rukia's power." Urahara said. "Hopefully, it will go smoothly. It's not worth revealing your presence for."

"Don't care." Erza said stubbornly. "That's a captain out there, and a cold bastard at that. I can't risk it."

"I have a plan," Urahara reassured her. "Just trust me-"

"Screw your plan." Erza said flatly. "I _don't_ trust you. Not now, not with this. I'm going." She brushed past him, and started walking, quickly.

Urahara sighed. "I thought you would say that. Tessai?"

From where the muscular, bespectacled man had come, she had no idea. But he was here, walking toward her, slamming his hands together to form a seal. She knew what it was, and quickly leaped forward, toward the ladder…

"Binding art sixty-three: Sajou Sabaku!" Tessai burst out, and all around her, the golden chains manifested, wrapping neatly around her. Erza swore, and collapsed to the ground before she had come close to the ladder. She struggled against the bindings, with all her might, but they had wrapped around her tightly.

"Please, do not resist." Tessai said, ever polite. "These chains are far too effective to break at the moment."

"LET ME GO!" Erza snarled. "You son of a bitch, let go! They're in danger out there!"

"I'm sorry, miss Scarlet," Urahara said, walking up to her and crouching down in front of her, looking down on her. "You leave me no choice. There is a plan, and you revealing yourself would throw a wrench in it. You will have to sit this one out."

"LET GO! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!" Erza snarled, continuously struggling. The chains would not budge, and she flapped around helplessly, like a fish on dry land. "I SWEAR TO EVERYTHING I HOLD DEAR, I'LL GET YOU! DAMN IT, LET GO!"

"My apologies, and I mean that sincerely," Urahara said and stood up. "But I have no choice in this."

* * *

He was _so damn fast._ Uryu was used to being the fastest thing around, and it had come as quite a shock to see this shinigami not only match his speed, but exceed it. Uryu had dashed around, firing wildly, and one or two of his arrows had hit- but they seemed to have no effect, other than causing a flesh wound or two, which the man had promptly ignored. Then the shinigami had caught up, cut him from shoulder to hip, and Uryu had known true pain for the first time in his life.  
Currently, Uryu was just barely standing up, somehow managing to keep going despite his injury. He suspected the shinigami was barely even trying, because in this state, Uryu was easy prey.

The shinigami flicked his sword to the side, ridding his sword of blood.

"You never been cut before, boy, have ya?" He said.

"I'm not done yet," Uryu said stubbornly, although he knew that was mostly a lie. The shinigami was like a locomotive- fast, powerful, nearly unstoppable. So this was the power of an elite officer? It was so, so different from Ichigo. Smooth and well trained, not a movement wasted, and powerful to boot.

"Good on ya," the shinigami said. He stood just a couple of yards away. Uryu had no time to react when he surged forward, slamming his head into Uryu's. Uryu fell over, seeing stars.

"Well, that does it for him," Renji said, and shrugged. "Now we just need to find where her powers went."

"We will not have to wait." Byakuya said.

"Huh. Yeah, I guess you're right. Sir." Renji said. He could feel it now, a huge, raging power source heading their way- pretty fast for an amateur. It was bright, bold and strong- too bright, in fact, blazing away its energy without restraint. Bloody amateurs…

Ichigo slid to a halt in front of the red-headed thug in front of him, having dashed across the rooftops and telephone poles of the town, landing with comparative grace. He wasn't sure what was going on- except Rukia looked scared, Uryu was down on the ground bleeding, and there stood the guy who did it, blood still on his sword. Quickly, Ichigo sensed for Uryu's vital signs. His reiatsu was stable, and although he was bleeding, he didn't seem to be near death. Good enough.

"I don't know who the hell you are," he said, his voice "but you better step away from Rukia now."  
He was all talk, and he knew it. The man in front of him, the tattooed thug with a cocky grin on his face, felt strong- dangerous. The man behind him seemed even worse, his energy quiet, restrained, and very, very large. These were elite shinigami, he realized, most likely beyond him.  
Not that it made him think of backing down.

"You." The thug said. "You're the one that stole her power, ain't you?"

"What's it to you?" Ichigo said, pulling his sword out. He knew where this was headed, and wouldn't let himself be caught off guard.

"Nothin'," said the thug, "except I'm probably going to kill ya."

"Ichigo, you fool!" Rukia cried, something desperate in her voice. "Run! You can't beat him! Go get E- go get help!"

Ichigo considered it for a second. Erza was definitely better equipped to handle it- but she was probably also on her way already. If the shinigami in front of him was that much stronger, he was probably also faster. Running away wouldn't do him any good.  
"Try it." He said, mustering what courage he could.

"Attaboy," the shinigami said. He raised his sword, and took a stance. "As a courtesy, even for scum like you: my name is Abarai Renji, sixth division, vice-captain."

Vice-captain. That sounded like a high rank. No wonder…

In an instant, Renji came at him, fast and furious. Ichigo was shocked that he even reacted in time, but somehow, his sword came up just in time to block the sideways slash. Months upon months of training kicked in, and he anticipated the next strike, and batted it aside, immediately stabbing forward with a counterattack. Nimbly, Renji dodged it, and took a step back, a curious expression on his face.

"Now that's something. Counterattacking? Might have worked if that oversized thing wasn't so slow." He had a grin on his face, and Ichigo realized he was enjoying himself.  
Again, he lunged forward, a series of fast cuts and thrusts raining down on Ichigo. He parried and dodged, just barely avoiding any real damage, although he felt at least three little stings as a glancing blow here and there cut at his arms and torso. The reality of it registered somewhere in Ichigo's mind. His opponent was fast, strong, better trained- and unlike his aunt, he was trying to hurt him for real. Kill him.  
But his aunt's lessons stayed with him. He could practically hear her voice in his head.

_He's controlling the pace of the battle. Break the cycle, or be broken._

Forcefully, Ichigo swung out in a wide arc, simultaneously hopping back. He felt the hot sting of a sword's edge rake across his face, and warm blood streaming down his cheek. He was prepared this time, though- and for some reason, he found he wasn't that difficult to follow. Frightening and strong, but not overwhelming. Not nearly as bad as his aunt. Just like that, those months of grueling training made him feel deeply grateful.

"Well, shit," Renji said, not sounding displeased, "you're not really that much of an amateur, are ya?"

"Sure I am," Ichigo said defiantly, "I just had a good teacher."

"Teacher, huh?" Renji said, cocking his head. "I wonder…"

Whatever he wondered, Ichigo didn't find out, as the vice-captain immediately lashed out into a quick series of careful stabbing thrusts, rapid and carefully controlled. Ichigo kept up, though.

_Your sword is large, heavy, and unsubtle,_ his aunt's voice echoed in his mind, _but it has reach and power over the typical zanpakutou. It has weaknesses, but it has strengths too. Use them._

Carefully, Ichigo parried the first few strikes, then hopped back twice, out of range for Renji's next strike, and struck back with a hard overhead blow. It missed, Renji batting it away easily, but Ichigo was setting the tempo now. With slow, methodic, powerful swings, he hit back, keeping out of the vice-captain's counterattacks.  
He was doing it. He wasn't overextending. He wasn't making those mistakes. He was holding his own. Ichigo's heart soared, as he saw Renji take his first step back. Reinvigorated, Ichigo redoubled his efforts. It became a slow, vicious grind, both of them moving their blades at a speed greater than any human could, neither managing to injure the other.

Finally, Renji caught Ichigo's blade, and as it thrust forward, he planted his foot in the younger shinigami's chest, firmly kicking him backward. Ichigo lost his balance, but quickly went into a roll, letting the momentum propel him back onto his feet.  
Renji had paused, and looked at him curiously.

"What _are_ you, kid?"

"Enough. Finish it, Renji." The voice, quiet and restrained, made it all clear- there was to be no further delays.

"Yes, sir!" Renji said firmly. He held down his sword low, horizontally in front of him. "I'm about to show ya something special, kid."

"You about to bust out your shikai?" Ichigo said defiantly.

"You know your shit, don't you?" Renji said. There was a faint glow to the sword, as he ran his hand over the blade.  
"_Howl, Zabimaru!_"

The sword expanded, growing in length. It broadened, too, and Ichigo could see a number of spikes having formed along the length of the blade, ending in nasty-looking double-headed spike at the tip of the sword. It looked less like a blade, and more like some vicious weapon of war. Whatever length or weight advantage he'd had was now gone. Renji felt different now too, his reiatsu seeming to have grown somewhat.  
Ichigo barely had time to react as the man surged forward. He managed to block the first strike- nobody had any business moving a blade that large that fast, Ichigo thought- but he was pushed back, and one of the spikes bit into his shoulder. Blood spurted out, and Ichigo cried out with pain. A sizeable flesh wound had been ripped open, and Renji was giving him no time to rest. Once, twice, thrice, four times he struck, Ichigo being pushed back full stop. Catching a hard swing from above, Ichigo pushed back, his muscles screaming in protest.

"Gotta give it to ya, punk," Renji said, a fierce grin on his face, "ya made a good run of it."

"I'm… not… done!" Ichigo grunted, barely having the concentration to speak.

Renji kicked him again, and Ichigo barely had the time to bring up his sword. As Zabimaru came down, though, Ichigo suddenly felt a rush of pain, as he was stabbed- in the shoulder, in the back three times. Not even realizing what had happened, he looked at his enemy's zanpakutou, interlocked with his own. Its segments had split, held together with some sort of wiry string, and four of them had simply wrapped around Ichigo's frame, cutting deep into his body.

"That's Zabimaru," Renji said pridefully. He took a step back, and in one ruthless motion, he yanked the sword toward him. The pain quadrupled as the spikes, embedded in his flesh, ripped free. His mind was free of thought, entirely occupied with the pain, and he staggered back, somehow managing to still hold his sword up. Renji hopped back a few steps, and began to swing his sword around. It swirled and coiled like a whip, lashing out at Ichigo, each strike filled with toothy, ruthless promises of pain and death. Ichigo wasn't sure how he was even conscious, let alone managing to dodge or parry- but something was for sure, he wasn't winning. Where the hell was Erza?

_Nobody will come to save you._ In some distant corner of his mind, the advice of his mentor echoed again. _Sometimes, you will have nobody to rely on but yourself. These moments make you who you are. You overcome, or you will die._  
The realization sunk in. He was going to die. He was going to die, fighting, against an enemy he was badly outmatched against, no matter how hard he tried. He could feel despair at the edge of his mind. Dying. The end of all he was. To leave behind a grieving family. To fall short of all he could accomplish. _Death._

_Hell no._

Somewhere in him, something rose, a reserve of power brought out from desperation, anger, and pure stubbornness. If he was going to die, he was going to do his damnedest not to. He was going to do his worst. He could die when he had no strength left to fight with. Roaring out, he collected himself, ignored the pain, and pushed back.

Renji hesitated. The kid had been all but done, just a strike or two away from getting his head cut off- but suddenly, it was all different. His reiatsu- it had not only grown, madly so, but… changed. It felt different.  
Somebody so beat up should _not_ be able to charge forward that fast. Yet there he was, madly slashing and hacking, seemingly having forgotten his discipline- and it was somehow pushing him back. _Him._ Renji, the vice-captain of sixth. A mere mortal with borrowed powers. This was madness.

Hardly even thinking, Ichigo pushed the vice-captain back, his sword working with a furious speed. His muscles screamed with pain from the strain, but it barely even registered. He was doing it. He was pushing him back. He was winni-

Then suddenly, Ichigo collapsed. Not even knowing what had happened, or how his face had come in contact with the asphalt under his feet, or where all his power had gone, he glanced up. Above him, with a cold, indifferent expression, stood the other shinigami, looking down on him. Ichigo wanted to cry out, curse him, try and get back up, but he couldn't even move his lips. He was barely even breathing.

"You took too long." He said indifferently.

"S-sorry, sir," Renji mumbled. "He was…"

"Unexpectedly able." Byakuya said dismissively. "No matter. I severed the link that bound Rukia's powers to his frame. He is a human soul again. His power is dissipating."

"Do I kill him, sir?" Renji said. "We should-"

Suddenly, three bright yellow shining arrows had struck him in the chest, and he staggered back. Not a millisecond later, another dozen had followed it, firing in a relentless stream. Byakuya reacted quickly, nimbly moving out of the way. Renji moved, too, although hurt- stunned and surprised, more than injured.  
Appearing over her son, in a flash, was Kurosaki Masaki. She looked like nothing special, in a simple housewife's clothes, but there was no mistaking her reiatsu. Powerful, well controlled and well-managed, even after years of inactivity.

"I don't know what you're here for," she said, her tone icily furious, like only a mother who has seen her children hurt can sound, "but _you hurt my boys._"

Byakuya wasted no time, immediately speeding forward. She was a quincy, undoubtedly, and unlike the first one she was strong enough to be a threat. Drawing his sword in one swift motion, he surged toward her in a smooth, well-practiced _shunpo_, aiming to take her head off. To his frustration, though, she not only matched his pace but outmatched it, speedily dashing back and around, letting loose a furious hail of arrows as she did. Try as he might, Byakuya could not dodge them all, and three arrows found their mark within a second, even if twenty shots had been missed for each hit.  
Focusing, he dashed toward her, reading her signature as he went. Angry, very angry, yet not lacking the legendary quincy control. Powerful. Dangerous. It was no wonder the false shinigami had been so powerful- apparently these were her sons, and it seemed their progenitor was stronger by far.

But the fundamental truth of shinigami and quincy did not change. He was shinigami, a spirit elevated to the highest form, possessed of power and skill matched by only a handful of people. The three wounds from the arrows that had hit his chest barely even slowed him down. Yet, one mistake from the quincy, and she would be over, because quincies were human and humans were full of weak, vital spots. A cut across the neck, or through the torso, either would be enough.  
It was frustrating, then, that she would not relent. Byakuya was not used to being outpaced- but placed under the limit release as he was, at a mere twenty percent of his total power, he was unable to close the distance. In the meantime, she would continue to rain down arrows on him.  
Still maintaining his speed, dodging the scores of arrows coming his way, Byakuya held his zanpakutou out.  
"_Scatter, Senbonzakura._"

Ichigo had somehow managed to prop himself up on his elbows. He felt weak, powerless, and very much in pain in way too many places- but it was all forgotten the moment he realized what was going on. It was faint, and his ability to sense was fading, but he could feel it. His mom was out there, moving around the area in a total blur, arrows loosing from her bow like brightly coloured machine gun rounds, targeting another blur- the other shinigami, he guessed.  
Then suddenly, the two of them stopped their mad dashes, landing a bit further down the street. The cold shinigami did not appear to have a sword anymore, holding on to what looked like a plain hilt, but there was something in the air, like a glitter of red…  
His mother was bleeding. There was a series of thin cuts on her chest, her face, and Ichigo wanted to stand up, to scream, to rush at the bastard shinigami who had done this to her, but his strength failed him totally.

"I commend you, woman," said the shinigami. "You evaded most of my Senbonzakura, even when I guided it. Lay down your arms here and now, and I will let you and your kin live."

"You have seen _nothing_ yet," Masaki snarled, and once again strung her bow.

"As you please." He said neutrally, and made a gesture with his hand. The red things once again ran through the air, but Masaki was faster. A second later, she stood behind the shinigami, and let loose a fully charged bolt into his back. He let out a gasp, and staggered. Ichigo was filled with a rush of emotions- he wanted to cheer, to tell her to show him what for, to beat him down, kill him…  
But he could manage nothing, and a second later, it was back on. Masaki had fired her second shot almost immediately after, but remarkably, the shinigami was already gone, and the red things were chasing her through the air. Again they dashed back and forth around the street, faster than the human eye could follow. It was clear, though- his mother's bow was the superior weapon. The things chasing her were not fast enough to catch her, and no matter how lethal, they did not stop her from firing her weapon nonstop. Deep in the pit of his stomach, Ichigo felt some kind of hope.

If Byakuya hadn't had such well-practiced self-restraint, he would have growled with anger. To be thus tied up, with a quincy stronger and faster than anything he had expected to face, was an indignity in itself. Restrained as he was, there seemed to be little he could do. As he dashed and dodged, he weighed his options. Bankai was not an option. No mere quincy was worth it, nor was this simple excursion something that should merit something so drastic. Lifting his limit release would solve the problem, but it required getting in contact with the Gotei and gaining authorization. As it stood, the most breathing room he had was the tenth of a second.  
Never make it more complicated than it had to be. That was a lesson he didn't remember nearly as well as he should, but one that he needed to consider. Simple shunpo had not worked. Shikai had not had the desired effect. But his arsenal was far from exhausted…  
An idea formed in his mind. Simple, but efficient. All he needed was an opening…

Masaki was barely thinking. For nearly twenty years, she had had little to no practice with the arts, and she was out of shape. Yet it all remained, the knowledge and power of the quincy arts. It was like riding a bike. She could feel herself tiring; there was no telling for how long she could keep this up. She had hit the bastard several times, but he seemed unaffected. He bled, all right, but he didn't even seem to acknowledge it.  
A red-hot filter of rage kept her going. She was filled with it, no, _consumed_by it, in a manner only a mother fighting for her children could be. She had to have fired thousands of arrows by now. Most of the shots went wide, from lack of practice and from overexcitement, and she knew her skill was not what it used to be. But still, she kept going.  
Then suddenly, the shinigami dashed the other way, onto a rooftop and down to the street again, some twenty yards away from her. Stopping there, she saw his sword reshape. Not hesitating, Masaki walked forward, her bow strung, waiting for him to make his move. He stood still. Masaki dashed forward, aiming again for a close-up hit, with a fully charged arrow. Her bow arm was fully drawn as she charged forward, every meter seeming to pass by in slow motion. Suddenly she stood there, just behind him, and…

Ichigo felt something was wrong in his gut the moment the shinigami bastard stopped. Too confident, too assured, too at ease…  
He wanted to cry out, but couldn't. His mother dashed forward, in the blink of an eye, appearing right behind him…

…and then the shot went wide, as the shinigami twisted to the side, suddenly facing her, pointing two fingers at her.

"Bakudo sixty-one: Rikujo-koro." He said dispassionately, not an ounce of emotion in his voice. Immediately, six pillars of light slammed into Masaki's midsection. Realizing too late what had happened, she tried to move, twist away, but she was firmly stuck. The bow in her hand dissipated, as she used both hands, in vain, to try and break herself free.  
The shinigami grasped his sword in both hands, and raised it high.

Inside Ichigo, a last, untouched source of energy broke loose, and he managed to cry out.  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

He cut her. Cleanly, from shoulder to hip. Blood splattered, staining his white haori, looking almost black in the moonlight. The yellow rods disappeared, and Masaki collapsed to the ground as if all her bones had suddenly disappeared, quite lifeless. Desperately, Ichigo forced his hands and arms to move, pathetically crawling toward her.

"Tough one, wasn't it, boss?" Renji said, having watched the whole thing in awe.

"I will require some medical attention." Byakuya said, raising his sword for a final blow. She was likely dead already, he reasoned, but Byakuya was nothing if not thorough.

"Brother, I beg you!" Rukia cried out desperately, standing herself over Masaki. "Your enemies are defeated, and I have come willingly. My great and powerful elder brother, your mission was to bring me back, was it not? Are your mission objectives not fulfilled? There is no need for more bloodshed!"

Byakuya gave her a discerning look. "You argue for the life of this mortal? She would have taken my life if she could. My blood was shed. Her life is rightfully mine to take, as an enemy of the Gotei."  
His voice was calm and controlled, but Rukia knew how to read him at least to a degree, and she heard no anger in his words.

"So it is, elder brother," she said desperately, breathing raggedly, "but there is no need for it. In life, duty. In struggle, perseverance. In victory, mercy."

"In triumph, glory." The captain said. It was a common Gotei proverb, outlining the view of life shinigami ought to have.

"We are shinigami. We exist to protect humanity. We are the bulwark, not the executioners," Rukia said frantically, hoping her words could sway him. The thought of Ichigo seeing his mother killed in front of him… it was too much to bear.  
For a few agonizing moments, Byakuya simply looked at her. Then, he pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the blood from his blade, and gracefully sheathed it.

"Abarai, restrain the prisoner." He said neutrally.

"Yes, sir," Renji said, walking toward Rukia.

"Thank you so much, elder brother," Rukia said, from the bottom of her heart. He did not reply, only giving her an icy glare.

"Open the senkaimon." He said. "We leave."

The last thing Ichigo saw before it all went black was the gate closing, the two shinigami leaving him, Uryu and Masaki behind, bleeding on the ground.

* * *

**Well, I sure hope you all enjoyed our interpretations of the finale of this arc. It was quite different from its original version...But if you thought that was good...You haven't seen anything yet. I promise you all, the soul society arc will be just as good, if not GREATER, than its original counterpart. I hope each and every one of you will enjoy it, just as I hopped you all enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to leave a review to tell us what you thought, we really want to know.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**Oh, and if you can guess why the chapter is named what it is, your a huge Bleach fan. :)**


	35. Let's get down to business

**3 chapters in one month, we actually did it! Man, This has been a crazy as hell month hasnt it? Bleach ended, (Warning spoiler) Juvia "died" (We'll see how long that lasts.) and I got into a car crash. Dont worry, Im fine, just a bit shaken up.**

**But thats enough out of me, lets get right to it! I do hope to see your reviews, that would put a smile on our faces.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

When Ichigo opened his eyes again, the first thing his mind registered was the warmth. The second was how tired he felt. Lying perfectly still, he slowly came to, his mind scattered and distracted. Then, thirdly, he felt the pain, and it was enough of a jolt to trigger a thought.

It hurt. Dulled, its edge taken off, but it hurt. He looked around, and forced the place around him to come into focus. At first, he assumed it would be a hospital, because it seemed the most logical place. But no… this looked like… the shop…  
The shop. Where he'd been brought after he was cut. Hazy memory images, cut and unclear like dirtied movie tape, of him being carried inside by strong arm. Carried inside, and…  
The memory hit him, like a truck. He had fought those shinigami. He had lost. His mother had been there. His mother. Mom!

Remembering the image vividly now, of his mother being cut down by that bastard shinigami, he sat bolt upright. Immediately, he was overwhelmed with pain. Blood seeped through his bandages, and he fell back onto the bed- a futon, actually- unable to focus on anything but the hurt.

"My, my," came a voice, quiet and restrained, and Ichigo managed to recognize it as Urahara Kisuke's through his pained daze, "look at you, trying your best to undo all our hard work."

Ichigo murmured something incomprehensible, wanting and feeling too many things to say anything coherent.

"Take it easy, now," Urahara said. There was a gentle touch to Ichigo's chest, and a surge of energy. After a minute or so, although it might have been an hour for all Ichigo could tell, the pain eased. Finally able to move his head, he looked up. The shopkeepers was slowly running a hand over his injury, a slight green light emanating from it.  
"It's a medical kido," he explained calmly. "I am no expert, but you pick up a little bit of this and a little bit of that in my line of work. I know enough to stop that injury from rupturing any further, for example, and how to dull your pain. It really wouldn't do for you to bleed to death after all our hard work."

"Mom…" Ichigo hissed out, his voice faint.

"Oh." Urahara said. "Oh yes, I suppose that _would_ be a concern. You must have seen her fall."

"Mom!" Ichigo insisted, his voice getting desperate. Had he had the energy, he would have put in something more eloquent, like 'is she okay', but he was too weak.

"She's alive, although it was a close call," Urahara said, and words could not describe the relief that washed over Ichigo. He did not even want to consider life without her, let alone her having died because of him- how could he ever have faced his family again? How could he have moved on?

He must have made some sort of grunt, because Urahara said,

"Yes, I understand. Let me help you. Take my hand, and _very_ gently, sit up just a little."

Struggling, Ichigo reached out with a hand, and Urahara took it. Gently and slowly, he was pulled into a semi-sitting position, and Urahara gestured toward the rest of the room.

"Look," he said. "She and your cousin are just down there. Yoruichi and I helped, although I won't lie- the chief reason you two are alive is the skill of my associate, Tessai."

Ichigo looked. Further down the room, which he hadn't thought to look through in his disoriented state, lay his mother, under a blanket. She was pale, and quite still, but her chest heaved; she was breathing. Exhausted, and overwhelmed with relief, Ichigo fell back down to his futon.

"You will recover soon enough." Urahara explained. "It's chiefly about replacing the blood you lost. Your injuries will soon be healed. The kido was effective. We took the liberty of fusing your soul with your body again- effectively, you are human once more."

"I'm powerless?" Ichigo mumbled. Compared to knowing his mother was safe, it seemed a small price, but he would miss the strength.

"Anything but," Urahara said, with a small grin. "In fact-"

There was a crash outside the room, and the voice of Tessai could be heard.

"Manager!"

The doors burst open- as in, they flew off their hinges- and a furious Erza ran in through it. Seeing Kisuke, she ran directly forward. The punch she threw was the envy of any heavyweight champion, and it connected squarely with Kisuke's cheek, sending him tumbling into the wall.  
"URAHARA KISUKE!" She roared. Grabbing him by the collar, she pulled him up and hit him once, twice, three times, without any form of restraint. Urahara, strangely enough, wasn't resisting. There was no sign of her stopping, but thankfully, a strong hand grasped her wrist. His muscles bulging against her raw strength, Tessai just barely managed to hold her back. His voice strained, he said,  
"Miss Scarlet, I must ask that you please restrain yourself, else I shall have to do it for you."

"Let go, you son of a bitch!" Erza snarled. "For hours, you kept me trapped down there, and I could feel it all! I could feel them cut down Ichigo! Masaki!"

"Then no doubt you felt Yoruichi, Tessai and I recover them," Urahara said, standing up straight. Rubbing his cheek, he spat out a bit of blood. "I don't begrudge you that, even if it hurts- you punch like a mule, actually- but either you calm down, or you will be chained down. Your choice."

"You _rotten, evil bastard_" Erza snarled, still tensed up.

"Aunt…" Ichigo said weakly. "We're here. We're okay. Sorta."

Straining for just another second, Erza finally relaxed herself.

"Let go." She said, her voice calm but bitterly angry. "I'll… restrain myself."

"Very well." Tessai said. Ichigo had half expected her to throw another punch, but she headed right for Ichigo's sickbed, kneeling beside the futon.

"Well, it looks like it's over for me," Ichigo said with a weak smile. "But at least I almost kicked the ass of one of them…"

"The one you fought was an old student of mine," Erza said, tears at the edge of her eyes. "You did brilliantly, Ichigo."

"Not brilliantly enough."

"We'll find a way." Erza said. "No matter what, we will."

"Well, as it happens…" Urahara said, his tone discreet- although anything he said was likely to be inflammatory.

"We are done with _you,_ you heartless, snivelling little scum," Erza said, her gentle face turning harsh again as she turned to face the shopkeeper. "If I had been out there, they wouldn't be here, half dead!"

"No, if you had been out there, then by now half of the gotei's strongest fighters would be out there subduing you, and you'd be brought back for execution in shackles- or worse, fall into the hands of you-know-who." Urahara said sharply. "There would be teams investigating everyone you interacted with. Isshin too would go back in chains. Masaki and the kids? Could be dead or captured. The Gotei would be on full alert, and everything you worked for would be gone."

Ichigo breathed in. He had had no idea how badly the Gotei wanted his aunt.

"I know full well how impulsively righteous you are," Urahara said, "which is why, for the good of your family, and for the good of my plan, you had to be restrained. It had to be done. Simple as that."

"You still..." Erza said angrily, and it was obvious she wanted somebody to blame.

"Like I said- I don't begrudge you these bruises," Urahara said, pointing to his face, where multiple swellings were already starting to form, "but it _had to be done._"

"He's… right. Isn't he?"

The voice, weak and just barely audible, came from Masaki. She had opened her eyes, although laying still, still.

"He's a scoundrel!" Erza snarled. "Er, I mean… a-are you okay?"

"Been better." Masaki mumbled. "But he's not wrong, is he? Even if he's a scoundrel."

Erza fell silent.

"I'm asking you, because only you know if he's right or not. I'm not shinigami," Masaki said. "So is he wrong?"

With a look on her face like she had just eaten a truckload of lemons, Erza said,  
"…no."

"What's best is not always easy." Urahara said. "I… sympathize. But I could not let you ruin this. It's too important."

"What is?" Erza snapped. "What 'plans' are you talking about?"

"Let's just say that this Certain Individual has a hand in this," Urahara said cryptically, and Ichigo felt confused. "More pressingly, for you at least, Rukia is facing execution."

"_What?_" Erza snapped. "That makes no sense!"

"You think he cannot do that?" Urahara said bemusedly.

"But…" Erza said. "But why? And how do you know this?"

"I have my sources on the inside, too. It's been well over a century." Urahara said, apparently unable to not be cryptic.

"Why?" Erza demanded.

"Who can say?" Urahara said, shrugging. "You should know better than anyone that he does not share his true intentions with anyone. Maybe it's some greater objective. Maybe it's just for his amusement."

Erza eyed him suspiciously. "You are sure it's him? Absolutely sure?"

"Changing a set of misdemeanours, on a member of the noble caste no less, to a death sentence is extremely unusual. Unheard of, even. It takes considerable influence to do so- among the Central Forty-Six, the highest authority. Do you believe in coincidences, Erza? Coincidences that big?"

Erza was silent for a while, deep in thought.

"Who is 'him'?" Ichigo murmured confusedly, utterly puzzled. "What's going on?"

"Something from my past," Erza said evasively. "It's… it's my own cross to bear. You stay down and heal."

"We will talk in the morning." Urahara said. "The worst of all your injuries should be gone by then. Miss Scarlet, I suggest you catch some sleep- and if you cannot, think on what I have said."

Erza gave him the strangest look, one Ichigo had never seen before. Worried, foreboding, wistful, confused…

* * *

Somewhere, he had to have slipped into a slumber, although Ichigo could not for the life of him place where. He was still a bit disoriented, and he wasn't sure if it was some side-effect of the kido, the horrible physical trauma, or both. What he did know was that there was a small device next to his head, no larger than a wrist watch, emitting a small, quiet set of beeps, just enough to wake him and nobody else.  
Given the greying lights outside, it had to be early morning. Reaching out to the little device, still half asleep, Ichigo took it in his hands. The little thing quieted down, and Ichigo nearly fell asleep again. The pain had gone away, remarkably so, and though the futon was a bit harder than what he was used to, he didn't mind.  
He had almost fallen asleep, when he registered that there were voices in the distance. His aunt, he realized, and the shopkeeper, conversing in tones that were at the same time hushed and heated. His urge to sleep finally being overwhelmed by a growing curiosity, Ichigo opened his eyes, suppressed a yawn, and sat up. He still ached a little, but nothing close to what had happened the last time he had tried to sit up on his own. Carefully making his way toward the sliding doors- which had somehow been repaired while he had slept- he listened in.

"…I keep telling you, it's a fool's errand." Urahara said calmly, although there was an urgency in his voice. "You are chanceless on your own."

"I kept asking myself all night long why it's happening," Erza said fiercely, "but when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter. Rukia is going to be executed, and she doesn't deserve it. I have to try and help, no matter what."

"It's a suicide run, and you know it."

"I've spit in the face of the impossible before." Erza said stubbornly. "I'm going to try, and you're not going to stop me."

"All alone, leaving all your precious people behind without even saying goodbye?"

"Do _not_ try to manipulate me!" Erza sneered, her voice rising for just a second. "They have no idea what I'm heading into. If they knew, they'd insist on talking me out of it, or worse, come along. They are not ready."

"Can I remind you what this foolish righteousness would have accomplished last night?" Urahara said flatly. "At the least, _wait_. Think before you act."

"You'll have to put me in chains again." Erza said, and it was incredible how stubborn she was; mules would have been in awe of her single-mindedness.

"I actually doubt if I will." Urahara said, stealing a glance at the doors. Ichigo realized just who had placed that little device next to his head- and why.

Slowly, taking it easy, he stood up and slid the doors open.

"Erza." He said quietly.

"I-Ichigo." Erza said, almost sounding guilty. "You should be in bed."

"You're leaving?" He said. Emotion was welling up inside him, no doubt aided by his damaged, confused state of mind. How could she?

"Look, Ichigo…" Erza said, trailing off. The guilty look on her face said it all, and Ichigo knew exactly what the shopkeeper had planned- but he didn't care the least bit.

"You're leaving us behind?" He hissed, slowly walking toward her. "After all of this, you're going to leave us? Go after Rukia on what, a suicide run? Or was he just full of shit?"

"You don't understand!" Erza said, almost desperately. "Rukia is a friend, and I can _not_ stand by and let this happen to me. I can't! I have to try, even if it's almost impossible!"

"What about the rest of us, huh?" Ichigo said angrily. "What are we going to do without you? What about Orihime? Rukia's your friend- _our_ friend- sure, but what good will it do anyone if you go ahead and die on us?"

Erza balled her fists, and infuriated look on her face. She shot Urahara a vicious glare, and then looked back at Ichigo.

"Look…"

"No, don't you 'look' me!" Ichigo said angrily, his temper slowly building up. "Like hell you're going to leave all of us behind to go alone!"

"Why don't we postpone this little spat until after breakfast, yes?" Urahara cut in smoothly, before it could escalate. "Let's not have harsh words when we're not thinking clearly. Talk this out when you're all thinking clearly."

"Don't you leave us." Ichigo said, and his tone was stubborn enough to rival Erza's. "Don't."

Erza looked at him helplessly, and kept her fists balled.  
"Fine." She said frustratedly. "Fine. Breakfast. Whatever."

* * *

In the morning, Isshin stopped by, Urahara apparently having informed him earlier. Beside himself with worry, he fussed endlessly over Masaki and Ichigo both. All joking attitudes dropped, he was entirely serious, examining them both fully as a doctor. Ichigo was tempted to mention Urahara's part in this, but decided not to- it would only be adding misery to the pile, and the man _had_ had some good reasons for it.  
In the end, it took some very strong convincing for Masaki to make him leave for work, insisting she was fine. The three of them had indeed recovered well- their wounds mostly gone, all that was left were scars and aches. After a hearty breakfast, Orihime, Tatsuki and Chad showed up, no doubt having been conveniently notified by the shopkeeper, and Ichigo was, despite himself, a little impressed with Urahara's manipulative skills. Erza was sulking in a corner, looking like she had nowhere to go, arms crossed over her chest.

"So," Urahara said, after the obligatory exchanges of oh-my-god-are-you-okay had mostly passed, "I think we all have things to discuss."  
He was flanked by Tessai and Yoruichi, and the ten of them were still in the same room that had functioned as an emergency medicare unit.

"Yeah, like how we're going to get back at these bastards," Tatsuki said with a scowl. She, like Orihime, had grown up side-by-side with Ichigo's family, and him and his mother having been this close to death had shaken her. She had responded with anger; Orihime with shock. Chad was as stoic as ever.

"A good enough attitude," Urahara said with a smirk. "Let's start with what we know."  
Stepping into the middle of the room, he flicked out a fan. Looking like he rather enjoyed the attention, he continued,  
"Late last night, Rukia was taken back to the soul society by the leader of her own clan, also her brother. Mister Ishida here mistook the situation for something it was not, attacked, and things went downhill from there. Mister Kurosaki here was badly bloodied, and Mrs. Kurosaki was nearly killed."

"Assholes," Tatsuki muttered.

"That in itself is not too bad, horrible injuries aside," Urahara continued, "except I have it confirmed that Rukia faces execution."

Ichigo had already heard the news, but the rest of them flinched.

"But- but why?" Orihime exclaimed. "She didn't do anything wrong, did she? Not that bad, right?"

"Indeed she did not," Urahara said. "We suspect foul play. Which leads me to our second point." He pointed his fan at Erza.

"Miss Scarlet…"

"She was about to run off in the night." Ichigo said bluntly.

"What?!" Orihime said.

"I-I wasn't thinking straight, all right?" Erza said defensively, sounding even guiltier as Orihime looked at her.

"Indeed, we've all been there, overwhelmed with passion. Et cetera, and so forth," Urahara said dismissively. "However, I think miss Scarlet will still insist on attempting to save Rukia. Is that correct?"

"I have to try." Erza said stubbornly. "It's just… it's a Fairy Tail thing."

"Fairy Tale?" Orihime said confusedly. "Erza, what's going on?"

"A rescue mission." Urahara said, shooting them a grin. "It's only right. Save the maiden fair, and all that. Unfairly sentenced to death by a tyrannical government- how could a group of such upstanding heroes not act?"

"This is not a joke!" Erza snarled. "You have no idea-"

"Actually, I _very_ much do," Urahara cut in. "Now, why don't we ask the others. Who here intends to let miss Scarlet attempt this alone?"

"Hell no." Ichigo said flatly. "Rukia's not just your friend. She's mine, too, and she saved my life. I'm coming too."

"Count me in," Tatsuki said eagerly. "I was there that night, too. I owe her the same as you."

"If Erza is going, so am I." Orihime said resolutely.

"Then I say the same for Ichigo." Chad said. "I will come with you, and lend whatever aid I can."

"On my honour as a quincy, I swear that I too will come," Uryu said, having remained silent until now. "I owe the shinigami a debt of pain, and it would shame me to watch all of my… friends stand up to this injustice while I am left wanting."

"I'm coming too." It was Masaki's voice. Ichigo turned to her, shocked.

"_Mom!_"

"What?" She said dismissively. "Do you seriously think I'd let my son go into something that dangerous on his own? I remember doing better than you, actually."

"B-but-" he protested.

"No objections, or you're grounded," Masaki said with a smirk. Ichigo could have sworn he heard Ishida snicker.

Erza looked at them all with horror.

"You can't." She said. "You can't. The people in the Gotei… the soldiers they command, there are true monsters there. You think you are strong? Ichigo, Masaki, you saw a captain- at _one fifth_ of his power, not even using half of his arsenal. You were chanceless. What good would it do if I went in and died? What good would it do if you _all_ went in and died?!"

"If indeed this was a loud and hard mission to bust them out with force, I would agree," Urahara said, looking amused. "But… I have a better idea."

"Like what?" Erza snapped.

"A quick in-and-out," Urahara said smoothly. "Yoruichi will lead you. Like myself, she has an intimate knowledge of the Gotei's inner working, including its city layout. You go in, cause some chaos, and your fastest members scurry away to secure Rukia in the confusion. There's more to it than this, of course, but that is the plan."

"It's still madness," Erza insisted stubbornly.

Still a bit sore, Ichigo stood upright, and looked her in the eye.  
"We're not backing down. We're getting her back, together, and that's that."

For a moment, two equally stubborn gazes clashed, the both of them frowning determinedly. Erza balled her fists, grit her teeth, and finally looked away.  
"You people…" she muttered, shaking her head.

At the same time, something stirred in her chest, a memory even older than her time in the afterlife. The memory of being surrounded by brave, optimistic people who would do anything for their extended family, no matter the odds. Across worlds, across so much time, it seemed she had found Fairy Tail again, albeit under a new name. Slowly, she smiled.

"Fine." She said. "But this happens on my terms. Except Masaki, Yoruichi and I, you are all complete rookies- and yes that does include you, Ichigo- and you're going to do what I say, when I say it."

"What?" Ichigo said, apparently having expected further arguing. "I mean. Er, yes. That's great."

"As it happens, the minimum waiting period for an execution is a month," Urahara cut in, "and with your school semesters having just finished… well, you'll have three weeks of time. Three weeks to train, to prepare, to make yourself as ready as you can."

The group murmured their approvals, or nodded stoically in the case of Chad and Uryu, and Erza stood up.

"Together, then."

"Together." Ichigo said, and nodded with a smile.

"Rest, recover and prepare," Urahara said. "Tomorrow at dawn, in my basement, training begins."

* * *

It was with some trepidation that Ichigo made the climb the next day. More aware than ever of his human limitations, the long ladder down was infuriating. Just days ago, he could have made it down or up in one or two jumps. Now, he was holding on for dear life, because a fall would be fatal.  
Once down, he assembled with the rest of the group. His mother had come, wearing an old-looking white uniform, to match Uryu's. He'd never seen it before, and it looked dusty- probably not used for many, many years.

Making his entrance was Urahara, coming out from behind a rock. The man, Ichigo noticed, loved his entrances.

"Well, well, well then!" He began, spinning his cane a few times with one hand, "where do we start?"

"Well, um," Ichigo said, awkwardly raising a hand, "how about… well, I don't have powers anymore. So there's that."

"In a second!" Urahara said reassuringly. "For our training regimen, who shall train what, and with who?"

"Uryu and I will train together." Masaki said, and Uryu gave her a surprised look. "I'm out of shape as it is, and I need a good partner- and he needs to learn everything his father didn't teach him. I'm rusty, but I'm pretty sure I know it better than he."

"I-it's an honour," Uryu mumbled, looking a little stunned, and Ichigo realized it had to be rather a monumental thing to hear. If Uryu's father hadn't taught him anything, then Masaki teaching him what was his heritage had to be, well, sort of a big deal.

"Yes, yes," Masaki said dismissively. "This is not about honour. We need to be the best we can be."

"Very good," Urahara said.

"And I shall continue with Tatsuki," Yoruichi said. Tatsuki gave an eager nod.

"Leaving miss Inoue and Mr. Yasutora," Urahara said. "I shall oversee the two of you personally. I think I'll manage."

This left Ichigo and Erza, although one thing was still missing- just how the hell he would train without being a shinigami. Before he could voice his concerns, though, Urahara turned to him.  
"At last, then, young Mr. Kurosaki." There was a grin on his face, and Ichigo did not like the look of it.

"Erza, what's going on?" He said.

"I don't know, really," she said, and shrugged. "Although he'll behave, or else."

"Oh, fear not," Urahara said smoothly. "I have a method to restore- or rather, grant you- power. As a caveat, it is rather radical and carries with it significant risk."

"Well, let's have it," Ichigo said. He felt a bit nervous, but was too determined to flinch.

From out his coat, Urahara produced a sword- a zanpakutou, it looked like.

"Asauchi." Erza commented. "How…?"

"Like I said, I have my sources," Urahara said coolly, stepping closer to Ichigo.

"Asauchi?" Ichigo echoed.

"When first a prospective soul enters the shinigami academy, they are given a sword just like this, an Asauchi." Urahara explained. "A blank slate. A material from which a zanpakutou spirit develops, as the soul grows in power and skill. When happening naturally, it harmlessly creates a sentient weapon that resonates with its users."

"But this isn't harmless." Ichigo said apprehensively.

"This goes into your chest," Urahara said flatly. "A tool meant for a shinigami, it will trigger a reaction from your considerable spiritual energy. It's a shortcut. But as such, it comes with a risk."

"Such as?" Ichigo said, knowing he would not like the answer.

"Death." Urahara said simply. "Or rather, annihilation. If you just _died_, your soul would separate from your body, and eventually pass on to the soul society. Here, there is a slight risk your energy will overload, go critical, and burn out. All of your reiatsu would disperse in the process, leaving your body a lifeless husk, and everything you ever were would be lost."  
He sounded almost cheery, which made it all the worse.

"How big of a risk?" Ichigo inquired.

"Oh, not very large," Urahara said dismissively. "It has of course never been tested on somebody as powerful as you, but on average… I'd say no more than thirty-seven percent."

Thirty-seven percent. Almost a four in ten chance of… complete oblivion. Right.

"Are you sure, Ichigo?" Erza said. "We can do it without you. There's no need for this."

"I'll do it." Ichigo said resolutely, knowing he was mostly being stubborn. "Um… mom?"

His mother had been listening intently, and there was a clear look of worry in her face.

"You know what I'll think," she said plainly. "Don't do it. It's too dangerous. But…" She threw her hands up, in exasperation. "I can't stop you. Make your choice."

Ichigo swallowed, and extended a hand. Urahara handed the sword to him. It felt heavy in his hand. Hesitantly, he drew the blade out. It looked quite real, sharp and tangible, and he would never have guessed it was of spiritual making.  
Surging in hyper-speed, thought after thought ran through his mind. When he had first stabbed a sword into his chest and gained Rukia's powers. When he had saved his friends. When he had learned and trained. When he had come to enjoy the rush of a good fight, the sense of power. His mother's anger when she first found out. Her constant worry. Rukia, her face almost visible before him. The thought of death, true death, overtaking him.  
He had faced that same feeling of death just two nights ago, against Abarai Renji. He had not backed down then. Thinking of Rukia, he slowly angled the point of the blade upward, against his sternum.

"Now, one thing," Urahara said hastily, "once that enters you, you will feel_something_. Just what that something is, I have no clue, but I know for a fact that all previous test subjects were quite conscious." Ichigo pushed away the thought of people having tried this before, focusing entirely on the sword before him.  
"It's absolutely vital," Urahara continued, "that you learn the name of your blade before you wake up, or at the very least obtain the powers of a shinigami. This is well and beyond what a typical shinigami is expected to learn so quickly- but then again, you are hardly typical."

"And if I don't?" Ichigo said.

"Then you don't make it back."

Taking one last look at his mother, Ichigo swallowed, blinked, and firmly pushed the sword into his chest. It slid in like a knife through butter, and for a second Ichigo felt nothing. Then came oblivion, and Ichigo knew nothing else.

* * *

At some point, and it was impossible to tell time in whatever space this was, Ichigo became aware that he was floating, or perhaps falling, through… something.  
Looking around, he saw nothing but whiteness. It was not like a cloud, where you could see swirls of white mist- pure whiteness, as far as he could see, and there he was floating or falling or lying; he couldn't tell which. He could move his arms and hands, he noticed, but it seemed to get him nowhere. It was all white, a single shade of the colour as far as the eye could see.  
Then suddenly, it wasn't. The change was too quick to even register; Ichigo blinked more than a few times. It was like some hyper-rapid graphics rendering in a computer game, where terrain shifted into focus once you got closer- except this looked very, very real.  
The new landscape was odd, but it was a relief to feel some sort of structure around him; a hardness under his feet and gravity to keep him in place. Confusedly, he stood up, and took in the view of this new world.

To the very horizon, odd, white structures stretched. They were full of neatly lined little crevices, and upon closer inspection there were large gaps in between them. They would have looked like streets, excepts streets were usually lined with asphalt or at least cobblestones. The surface beneath him was smooth, white and flat, excepting the small indentations here and there, depressing into the street- or ground, or whatever it was- just by a couple of inches. He looked to the edge, and there seemed to be an abyss extending down, further than his eyes could see.  
It was absurdly bright. A blue sky extended as far as he could see, not a cloud in sight, and for all he could tell, this place- whatever it was- stretched to infinity, an unending mass of blue and white.  
'You are going to see _something_', all right. Now there was an understatement...

He looked around with confusion, but never had the chance to marvel at its alien strangeness, or despair at its vastness, because his reveries were interrupted that very moment.

"ICHIGO."

The voice was deep, powerful, and rung across the entire world as if it were the only sound ever heard. For all Ichigo knew, it might well be the truth. Confusedly, he looked around, and a few moments later he saw him. A middle-aged man, not unlike his father, but with wild, unkempt hair, a long black cloak covering his lean features, and an odd pair of orange-coloured glasses, much too large to fill any practical function.  
He hovered in the air above him, and Ichigo blinked as he saw him descend.

"Without consideration or forethought, I am born," said the man, his voice ringing across the world, almost deafening. It occurred to Ichigo that his voice wasn't actually very loud- it just had a way of making itself very, very clearly heard.  
"Awakened rudely, I stand before you. Who are you?"

"Er, um, Ichigo. Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo said tamely. What was this? A hallucination? Some spirit? The zanpakutou itself?

"That is not enough." The man said, a hint of distaste in his voice. "To know me, you must know yourself. Who are you?"

It was annoyingly cryptic, and Ichigo wasn't having it.

"I introduced myself already, okay?" He snapped back. The man was hovering above him still, having stopped a full two meters above, and Ichigo felt a little intimidated. He looked very, very serious, and Ichigo felt quite vulnerable.  
"When somebody gives you their name, it's only polite to give yours back! So why don't you tell me, eh?" Ichigo demanded.

"You rude pup," the man said. "To be so harshly awakened, made to live, and you have the gall to make demands?"

"Made to live?" Ichigo said confusedly. "What _are_ you, old man?"

"I am you, and you are I," the apparition said gravely.

Something dawned on Ichigo.  
"You're my zanpakutou, aren't you?"

"Slowly does the rude child awaken," said the man, and Ichigo noticed his cape fluttering- which was odd, because there was no hint of wind here.

"And... you're pissed because you didn't get to develop naturally. Right?" Ichigo said, one thing after another dawning on him. Zanpakutou were proud creatures, if his experience with Erza's absurd companion was any judge, and he made a note to speak more politely.

"That does not nearly describe it." The man said.

"Then please, zanpakutou, give me your name," Ichigo said boldly, hoping his tone was sufficiently polite.

"You know my name," the spirit said, to Ichigo's frustration. "You need only dig it out from your mind."

"I..." Ichigo started, biting back a snappier reply. "I do not, great spirit."

"Sycophantic flattery will not appease me. Would it appease you, would-be master?"

"Um. No?" Ichigo said.

"It would not." The man said, staring down judgmentally on Ichigo. "For you are I, and I am you, and we despise underhandedness and dishonesty."

Ichigo got a sense that, in some way, the zanpakutou was giving him hints- hopefully to completing this process before he was purged from existence.

"You risked all to bring me into being," the zanpakutou said. "I may well die before I am an hour old. Why?"

"Because we're forthright, we hate underhandedness, and we do the right thing." Ichigo said stubbornly. "Because I can't let my aunt go in alone. Because I can't let Rukia die because she did the right thing and saved me."

"For this, you risk your life?" The spirit said haughtily. "Nobody would blame you for leaving things be. You did not ask for this life. You are not obligated to sacrifice your future for the failures of others."

"But here I am still doing it." Ichigo shot back.

The zanpakutou spirit looked down on him inscrutably.  
"You wish to know my name?" It said.

"You're damn right." Ichigo said firmly. The knowledge that he ran the risk of dying was there, but somehow pushed aside, replaced by a willingness to move forward, to succeed. To win.

"Then I shall give you a test. Fail, and we shall both die."

"That's... drastic." Ichigo said. "So-"

Mid-sentence, he was interrupted, as all of reality shifted ninety degrees. For but a moment, Ichigo saw the landscape, shifted, and realized that the odd world was actually very familiar. Endless rows of skyscrapers, turned so as to seem like some odd ground...  
Then he fell. Flailing wildly, he cried out. He couldn't even see the ground, looking grey in the distance, and a few seconds of falling later, even with terminal velocity achieved- if there was such a thing in this world- it seemed to grow closer only slowly.  
None of this seemed to matter, as he still felt the panic of falling, of impending death, and no amount of focus could turn his mind off the matter. He cried out, screaming with fear.

"If you have time to scream, then you have time to spare," The zanpakutou said, floating alongside him. "Do you fear death? Shinigami rule over many things, death included."

"I'm not a shinigami right now!" Ichigo burst out, in between anger and sheer terror.

"That which Kuchiki Byakuya snuffed out from you was merely borrowed," the zanpakutou said firmly. "He thought that was the end of it. He was wrong. There is power of your own, merely awakened by Kuchiki Rukia's!"

He knew he had power, sure, but this wasn't helping.  
"So how do I find it?" He cried out desperately.

"As this world collapses." The zanpakutou said. He stopped his descent, and out of nowhere, what looked like hundreds of white boxes started falling down alongside Ichigo, each one about the size of his head.  
"In but one of these, your true power lies. Fail to find it, and we shall both be undone."

That was not very helpful. Pick one of these damnable things, just one, and get it right the first time? While plummeting to his death? How in the hell was he supposed to even get to one of them?  
For a moment, he closed his eyes.  
_Think. Focus. This isn't the normal world. If it were, you'd be a wet stain already. Physics aren't really a thing. Try, or die._

Forcing himself to focus, he tried to move through the air through sheer force of will. It felt like a ridiculous notion, impossible... but to his surprise, as he imagined himself moving forward, extending his hands almost as if making a swimming stroke, his body obliged and moved through the air. He was still falling, sure, but he could move. The optimistic view was that this was noteworthy progress. The pessimistic one was that the harder part was still ahead of him, and it seemed impossible.  
Choosing to think of neither, Ichigo simple focused, purposefully moving around the falling boxes, trying his damnedest not to look down.

Then suddenly, he hit the ground. It was sudden, harsh, but to his surprise he was very much conscious- and still falling. He appeared to be sinking through water, the boxes following near him en masse.  
Okay, _think_. How do you spot shinigami power?

_You spot it by sensing._

But he couldn't sense. He wasn't a shinigami. Then how?

His master's voice rung through his head, from one of the less-frequent theoretical lessons, which he had paid less attention to than perhaps he should have.  
_Every ensouled thing has a signature. Its spiritual parts have a colour. You can sense them from afar, as if though they were a ribbon. A normal plus is white. A hollow is black. And a shinigami..._

A shinigami's signature was red! He remembered now, suddenly deeply grateful for his lessons. Quickly, he looked around. Suddenly, he could see them. String after string, ribbon after ribbon, one hanging out from each box. It was a sea of white, but somewhere in there, there was something red... he just had to find it.  
Above him, he saw the zanpakutou- and the skyscrapers above him, evaporating at an alarming pace. He hadn't been joking when he said the world was crumbling. Quickly, Ichigo redoubled his efforts, and looked around. Just as he had begun to fear that it was too late, he saw it- a stripe of red in the sea of white. Urgently, even desperately, he forced himself toward it, extending a hand. An enormous sense of relief rushed through him, as he grabbed on to the red ribbon, and pulled at it. The box came open, its lid falling off, revealing the hilt of a sword. Ichigo stared at it with shock, surprise- and joy.

"What are you waiting for?" The zanpakutou demanded. "Seize it, before this world comes undone!"

Quickly, Ichigo reached for the hilt, and pulled the sword out. Smoothly, the blade followed suit, and immediately the world stopped- and changed. The crumbling ceased, but the skyscrapers appeared gone, replaced again by an indistinct whiteness.  
The sword was long and broad, although not quite as unwieldy as it had once been, and it felt _right_ in his hand.

"You have gained the powers of a shinigami, and we yet live." The zanpakutou said. "The next time... I hope you learn my name."

* * *

Staring with mixtures of awe, caution and concern, the entire group had stood still as Ichigo transformed. Even those with poorer spiritual perception, like Orihime, could feel his powers convulse and thrash, his body spasming and jerking around. Ichigo's eyes had rolled into his skull, and at times he looked downright possessed. Nearly half an hour had passed so far.

"Is- is he okay?" Masaki said worriedly. She had said the same perhaps two dozen times now, never getting the answer she really wanted.

"Watch and wait." Urahara said neutrally, his eyes fixed on Ichigo. "Or don't watch. Whichever suits you best."

"What about his body and soul?" Erza said. "Won't they be connected?"

"If- _when-_ it succeeds," Urahara said, quick to correct himself, "his body and new form should split naturally. This is really just a more... prolonged version of what already happened with him and Rukia."

Further discussion was put on hold, as the violent flow of reiatsu finally reached a climax. It was clear to all with any depth of knowledge on the spiritual that what was flowing out was certainly not shinigami energy- at least not _just_ shinigami energy. It was foul, darkened, like the taste of milk that had been left out just a little too long.

"What did you do to him?" Masaki demanded.

"Ssssh." Urahara said, staring with fascination. "And... here... it... comes." As if conducting some bizarre symphony, he moved his hands about in odd gestures.  
As if on cue, Ichigo's body lay still as a shinigami burst out of it, fully fitted in the shihakusho, sword in hand. But all was not well. He was floating into the air, carried by the raw energy he had exuded around him, and most noticeably... his face.  
A ghastly apparition was in the place where his face should be. Looking like some hologram, see-through just slightly and vibrating in and out of existence super-rapid, it looked like...  
_A hollow,_ Erza thought. _Good heavens have mercy, he's turned into a hollow._

The creature let out a long, loud growl, sending chills down all of their spines- except Urahara, who looked at it as if entranced.

"Ichigo!" Masaki called out, and took a step forward.

"No!" Urahara said sharply, putting an arm in front of her, still not taking his eyes off Ichigo. "He has to do this on his own. Have faith."

It had been no more than half a minute, but the realization was already grating on Erza. Something had gone wrong. Very, very wrong. Something had-  
Then, suddenly, Ichigo put his free hand to his face, and in an instant the mask-like apparition had disappeared. The energies stabilized, now emanating Ichigo's same old raw, still untempered spiritual pulse, carrying the flavour of a shinigami. Immediately, Masaki rushed to his side, taking him in her arms. Somewhat confusedly, as if just having woken up from a dream, he returned the hug and mumbled something.

"What did you _do?_" Erza hissed. "If I find out that you-"

"Used him as a guinea pig? In front of you where everyone could see it?" Urahara said dismissively. "You know this is not my doing. I've said it before... he is something else. He always has been. I am not the engineer of this event, only a humble bystander."

He was not trustworthy, Erza knew, but his logic was sound enough. Still undecided, she glared at the shopkeeper. Ignoring her, he called out loudly,

"Excellent, excellent!" He clapped his hands, like he had just seen a fantastic performance. "No need to be alarmed, ladies and gentlemen- that was a perfectly natural, if unusual side effect of the process!"  
If the others disbelieved him like Erza did, they gave no sign, all eyes still on Ichigo.

Finally breaking free from his mother's desperately relieved grip, he stood up straight. There was no doubting it- he was, like Rukia, like Erza, a true shinigami in his own right.

"Uh," he said. "So that worked. When do we start?"

Erza smiled. "Right now."

* * *

Being in her own space with Yoruichi, Tatsuki stood ready to assume her stances. She was one of the few who felt nothing but excitement. The idea of entering the afterlife- the _freaking afterlife!_\- was awe-inspiring in itself, but to do so to save somebody from an unjust death...  
It would make for a hell of a story, if she survived it. And she'd be going in there, neck and neck with Ichigo... and the others, of course.

"Listen," Yoruichi said, putting a hand on Tatsuki's shoulder, "we're going to kick things up a notch. This will be harder than anything we've done so far- and more dangerous. Are you prepared for that?"

"As prepared as I'll ever be," Tatsuki said, trying and mostly failing to sound nonchalant. "Let's do this."

Without warning, Yoruichi launched a roundhouse kick. Tatsuki only half managed to block it, and went sliding.

"No mercy, huh?" She said, turning her tumble into a combat roll, holding her staff at the ready."

"None." Yoruichi said, a small grin on her face. "Mercy is for people with time to spare. Three weeks, Tatsuki- three weeks to get you as strong as you can be."

"I'll do it." Tatsuki said firmly.

"Good, 'cause," Yoruichi said, appearing behind Tatsuki's back in a flash, "I'll stop holding myself back a little."  
A quick smack sent Tatsuki tumbling again, and she only barely got up to catch the next attack. This was going to be hard, all right...

* * *

Erza was just making ready to train Ichigo, having designated a spot for them to take things to the next level, when Orihime approached her. Erza had a creeping suspicious what the issue was- which would prove accurate soon enough, as it happened.

"Um, Erza?" She said.

She wanted to tell Orihime to stay back, to do her own training, that there was no time for this, but found she could say none of those things.

"Yes?" Erza said hesitantly. "What is it?"

"Can we... talk?" Erza felt that sinking feeling, and sighed. "Just for a few minutes, that's all." Orihime reassured her.

"Uh, sure," Erza mumbled. "Let's... let's talk, then."

"Well..." Orihime said, her voice trembling faintly. "Were you really going to leave me?"

"I..." Erza said, desperately trying to think of a good set of words to say. Orihime's innocent, slightly hurt tone of voice cut at her heart like a knife. "Uh, well, you see..."

"Were you going to leave? Answer, please." There was a hint of steel in her voice, and Erza almost regretted teaching her how to stand up for herself.

"I... yes." Erza said ruefully.

"_Why?_" Orihime said, hurt and confusion in her voice.

"It's... I'm not sure you'd understand."

"Try." Orihime said firmly. "I think I deserve to know. Since you were going to run off and basically just _die_ without even saying goodbye, and all."  
It was atypically harsh of her, but Erza couldn't fault her.

Helplessly, she looked down at her adoptive daughter. Finally, she took a deep breath, exhaled, and looked to the artificial sky.  
"I... never told you where I came from, did I?" She all but mumbled the words.

"You're a shinigami." Orihime said. "You left them because of really good reasons. I don't know them, but it's you, so there had to be good reasons."  
There was nothing but utter faith in her words, faith that Erza would have done the right thing, which only made it all worse.

"Before that," Erza said quietly. "When I was alive."

"Oh. That. No, I don't think you did. What does that matter?" She added the last part hastily, with a bit of irritation, to make sure Erza was not going off track.

"It does," Erza reassured her. "It's what made me... me, I guess."

"So... where did you come from, then?"

"Another world." Erza said bluntly. "I was not born on this earth. Maybe it's another planet far away, or maybe it was another universe altogether, but I was not born here. I was born in Earthland, in the Kingdom of Fiore." Seeing Orihime's mouth turn into a round O, temporarily distracted by awe- this did run right up her alley, now that she thought about it- Erza continued. "It was a lot like our Earth, except... well, we had magic, and humans weren't the only sentient species. It wasn't nearly as technologically advanced, either- more like, say, eighteenth century Europe, perhaps.  
"I was... I did not have a happy childhood. I don't even remember my parents."

Emotions stirred within Erza, wounds long thought forgotten making themselves reminded.

"At a very young age, I was taken from my home and made a child slave. I and so, so many other children..."  
Briefly she stopped, memories practically flashing in front of her eyes.  
"We were made to work for a twisted ritual by an evil warlock. A friend helped me escape, but... he died in the process."  
Jellal. Well, that was as good of an explanation as anything; that Jellal certainly was dead now.

"That's..." Orihime said, looking in between astonished and empathetic. "I had no idea..."

"I wandered away, with nothing but a dirty piece of cloth on my body. No shoes, no food... I was half dead when they finally found me."

"Who?" Orihime said, sounding enthralled.

"Fairy Tail." Erza said. "They took me in. They clothed and fed me. They gave me everything- a place to belong, work to do that meant something, a family... I was never a very rich person, not in terms of money, but I still had more than I had ever imagined in my wildest dreams. I went from being a poor child slave to being a powerful mage, strong enough to help and protect those weaker than me. When you go from having so little, to having so much... you learn how much it matters."

She looked Orihime in the eye.  
"I'd die for you. I'd also die for Rukia. I'd die for anyone I consider a friend. I'd do anything to help, even if it seems impossible, or stupid, or downright foolish, because when you know what it means to have people to rely on, when you've never taken that for granted, when you've lost things, regained them and lost them again, you know why. I said you wouldn't understand- and I don't think you can. But that is it. That's why I'd charge right in even if it got me killed, because Rukia is my friend, and she does not deserve to die."

There was a strange look on Orihime's face.

"Look," Erza said, "I... I didn't want to have to do it that way, but I can't help it. I have to help. I just have to-"

Without another word, Orihime hugged her close, and after a somewhat awkward pause, Erza reciprocated.

"It's still not okay, you know that?" Orihime said quietly, still holding on. "It's still stupid and wrong of you to do that. But... I understand."

"Uh." Erza said, wishing she knew what to say next. "Um. Good?"

"Don't ever think of doing that again, okay?" Orihime said. It was odd, being scolded by her daughter, but all things considered this development was not the worst.

"I... can't promise that." Erza said, and hated that she was, at heart, honest.

"Then I'll stop you next time." Orihime said, firmly and without the slightest concern for small details as to just how she would achieve that. Erza smiled, and felt oddly proud. She was strong. She was good. Erza was not natural parent material, but she felt like she had succeeded with Orihime.

"Sooo..." Came the voice of Ichigo, standing a ways off. "I know you're having a moment, or something... but didn't you say we have no time to lose?"

"Just a minute." Erza said. "Just a minute..."

* * *

"Well," said Urahara, "Any questions before we begin?"

Orihime had quite a few actually, more than she could articulate. Everyone except she and Chad had their own mentors, and she felt a little like she was the chaff of the group. Before she could voice any of her concerns, Chad had politely raised his hand.

"Yes, the Mexican gentleman in the back?" Urahara said, cheerily pointing his fan at the bulky teenager.

"I trained with Ichigo up till now. Furthermore, Inoue and I have radically different abilities and strengths. How will you be able to train us both?"

"Through the most excellent multitasking you ever saw," Urahara said, no doubt being intentionally evasive.

"Um..." Orihime said meekly, her own hand raised, "I... don't really know where to start, actually. My powers are... not really like shinigami or quincy stuff."

"That's where you're half wrong!" Urahara said affirmatively. "They are indeed unique, but in their nature, they are similar to kido. It just so happens that I am well versed in the subject- and even moreso my associate Tessai, who will be joining us momentarily.

"Are you strong?" Chad said bluntly.

"Now there's a direct question," Urahara said amusedly.

"Are you?" Chad insisted. "You speak with confidence, and order and manipulate people of considerable strength, experience and skill. Can you match theirs? Will you even be as strong as Ichigo?"

"An honest question, I assume." Urahara said, and nodded. "You are not the type to throw insults, I believe."

Chad simply nodded.

"Then let's just say that I'm... sufficiently powerful. For your level, at least. And I have more than a few theories on that arm of yours- and how to make it bloom."

Chad nodded again. "That is all I wanted to know."

"So... what are we going to learn?" Orihime said.

"I'll be honest for once," Urahara said. "You'd have to train a lifetime to be ready, properly ready, for what awaits you. We do not have that time. So we will try to capitalize on your strengths, expand and build on them, and worry about a broader, more complete skill set afterward."

_If we survive,_ Orihime thought. Not that the prospect of death scared her- like many other things, Orihime's view on that subject was distorted, odd, and inappropriately cheerful.

"We'll do our best, then." Orihime said. "For Rukia."

"For Ichigo." Chad said affirmatively.

"Excellent," Urahara said. "Now... right this way."

* * *

Some time later, after she was well and truly sure her little boy was all right, Masaki found herself alone with Uryu. They had picked a spot far away from the others, wholly secluded. Masaki had never been big on quincy traditions herself, but some part of her still felt it should be... a private affair.

"Well..." Uryu started, not sounding entirely sure of himself.

"Listen," Masaki said firmly, her voice markedly different from that of the kind, loving, slightly tired full-time mother she usually was; sharper and more focused, "you must realize the stakes, Uryu. I am saying that, because I'm still realizing them myself."

"Death." Uryu said stoically. "If we fail, we die."

Masaki shook her head.

"That's the easy answer."

"Then what?" Uryu asked.

"Death." Masaki said. "Not as in just dying, but leaving people behind. People who care for us. People we have a responsibility to come back to. You might think I've got a bigger importance there- but you've got people too, and that's why we're both going to do this together. To get better, so we'll make it out in one piece."

"People, eh?" Uryu mumbled. "I wonder..."

"Don't." Masaki said bluntly. "I'd miss you. So would your father. So would the others over there, too, even if you don't believe it. So what are the stakes?"

There was no arguing with that tone of voice, Uryu realized.

"Death. Leaving... _my people_ behind."

Masaki nodded. "Your grandfather would be proud."

A strange look passed the young man's face, one of not often seen emotion. Giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder, she said,  
"Did you bring what you needed?"

Wordlessly, Uryu produced a small wooden box. Inside was a single white glove, intricately crafted, and brimming with small strands of energy.

"Sanrei." She said, and nodded.

"But, aunt... what about you?" Uryu asked. The glove was a precious heirloom, one he had inherited from his grandfather and kept just for such an occasion as this, but with just one to go around, it was obvious to whom it should go. He was young, still, and with such short-term training ahead of them, Masaki was the one who would benefit more from it. It would capitalize on her considerable strength, and thus make the team as a whole stronger.  
"Shouldn't you..."

Smiling, Masaki pulled out a wooden box of her own. Inside was another glove, just like Uryu's own.

"How...?" He said, his brows furrowing.

"I have my ways," Masaki said.

_In the morning, they would begin training. Masaki's injuries had just barely healed, but she had something she needed to do. For Ichigo. For him, she had to be strong. To be strong, she had to rely on family. This particular piece of family was even harder to approach than Uryu- although he had always had a soft spot for her._

_"It's rude to sneak into people's houses, you know," came Ryuken's voice as he walked in the door. He sounded irritated (when didn't he?), but Masaki knew him well enough to tell that it was fake. Irritation and casual indifference was a default state for him. Like father, like son, although neither would ever admit it._

_"I've taken the liberty of making some coffee," Masaki said with mild cheer, ignoring his jab. She had waited in the kitchen. It was still night outside, and as usual, he came home late, often in the wee hours._

_"What if I had mistook you for a burglar, hmm?" Ryuken said stubbornly, apparently intent on bickering some more. "What if I had shot you? Accidents do happen, you know."_

_"Then I'd die, content knowing that you'd never forgive yourself." Masaki said nonchalantly. It was a little forced; she was anything but calm and smooth at the moment, but it was passable. Or so she hoped._

_"Cold." Ryuken said, grabbing a cup of coffee. He took a sip, and looked at her approvingly. "Hot."_

_"You should come over more often," Masaki said. "I'll bet you we've got better coffee than any machine in the hospital can make."_

_"What, and let those moron interns kill a dozen patients through sheer incompetence?" Ryuken said, rolling his eyes. He was committed to the Hippocratic oath, all right- he just wasn't very nice about it. "The place would fall apart without me."_

_"Yes, the whole world on your shoulders," Masaki said, rolling her eyes in turn. "I'm sure there weren't even hospitals before you came along, just monks bloodletting people in dirty felt tents."_

_Ryuken took another sip from his coffee, and gave her an inquisitive look._  
_"What do you want?" He said bluntly._

_"You felt what happened to Uryu the other day, didn't you?" She said, her tone becoming serious._

_"My idiot son nearly got himself killed, starting a fight he had no chance of winning because of 'honour', and suchlike nonsense." Ryuken said with distaste. Anybody else might have missed the slight tremor in his voice, the subtle concern that told her that he had indeed worried, had indeed cared..._

_"You might have visited." Masaki said._

_"Who's to say I didn't?" Ryuken said, and for once, Masaki couldn't read him too well. Had he? "Regardless, that filthy scrounger candy-man patched him up, didn't he?"_

_"He did." Masaki said._

_"More to the point..." Ryuken mumbled, putting a hand over his mouth, a surefire sign that he was trying to hide his feelings, "You got hurt. Badly. I was nearly about to walk out of surgery to come get the two of you when I sensed somebody else doing it for me. Just as well, I suppose."_

_"I was, yeah," Masaki conceded. "Nearly died." She took a deep breath, feeling the implications of her words. She had really been at death's doorstep. Only the pleading of that shinigami- of Rukia- had saved her. She had a good heart._  
_"There was no choice. You know there wasn't,"_

_"There always is," Ryuken said sharply, gesturing almost aggressively with his mug. He downed the rest of its contents in one large swallow, and went to refill it. "There always is. The choices of our young are out of our hands eventually. If they want to chase the rabbit and willingly enter madness, then that's their business, not ours."_

_"You don't believe that." Masaki said softly._

_"Don't I?" Ryuken snapped, seeming to have lost grip of his cool. "Don't I?"_

_"You don't." Masaki said firmly. "It was my son. If I had died and he had lived, that would have been fine. I think you'd have done the same for Uryu."_

_Angrily, Ryuken all but slammed his mostly full mug down on the kitchen counter, spilling most of it. He swore, shaking the hot, black liquid from his hand._  
_"Let me tell you this, plainly and clearly, so there is no misunderstanding," he said, attempting- and rather failing- at seeming icily cold. "That world, the one our kids have chosen, is one of madness, danger and chaos. You know this as well as I do. But here you are, almost dying, and back on your feet through shinigami sorcery!"_

_"You sound like one of our clansmen." Masaki said, and almost regretted it. The insult would sting, but it wasn't untrue. Ryuken had done his damnedest to leave the quincies behind, but the upbringing, his harshness and anger and resentment, it was still there._  
_He gave her an angry look._

_"If it were anyone else, I'd tell you to get out. No- I'd flat out shoot you."_

_"You actually use a bow?" She said innocently._

_"Whatever," he grumbled angrily._

_"Listen," Masaki said, "I am leaving for the soul society. With Ichigo. Along with a few others. We're going to walk right into the lion's den."_

_Ryuken jerked, standing stiff and still._  
_"You cannot be serious!" He snapped. "What the devil for?"_

_"Because he's going, and so am I." She said simply._

_"Make him stop, then!" Ryuken snapped. "Ground him! Shoot him in the legs, if you have to! What sort of mother would allow that kind of danger to come to their children?"_

_"Shooting him in the leg is better?" Masaki said, her tone quietly bemused._

_"For the greater good," Ryuken said dismissively. "Honestly, Masaki..."_

_"I'm going." She said firmly. "Isshin would come too, if he had the power. I'm not going to ask you to come along-"_

_"You're damn right you wouldn't."_

_"-but I am going to ask for something from you."_

_"What, medical advice?" Ryuken scoffed. "The anatomy of a shinigami is monstrous and quite beyond me, so I won't be of much help there."_

_"You still have uncle's chest, don't you?" Masaki said._

_"Threw it out years ago. Burned it." Ryuken said, much too quickly and much too smoothly._

_"So it's not gathering dust in the attic, under a pile of moth-eaten rugs, then?" Masaki said._

_"Nosy, damnable..." Ryuken muttered. "What about it? I know my fool son already pillaged some of it in his naive quest for glory and whatnot, so what could you want from it?"_

_"A sanrei glove." Masaki said. "I need to re-learn everything. That glove is exactly what I need."_

_Giving her the oddest glare, Ryuken said,_  
_"Masaki, you hated the quincies. You were good at the arts, but you never even liked them."_

_"I don't like them." Masaki said plainly. "They're dangerous, hard to use, and they're designed to hurt people."_

_Ryuken, for the first time, looked legitimately baffled._  
_"Then... we agree? Then you know that-"_

_"I'm doing it because I have to." Masaki said firmly. "I have to protect my son. I have a way of doing that. If I'm ready to die for him, don't you think I'm ready to take up the arts?"_

_Ryuken fumbled with the coffee pot, glaring at her as if trying to come up with a reply._

_"Fine," he snarled. "I give up. There's no reasoning with you people. Madness, going into a lion's den, taking up the arts..." He grumbled and muttered, sounding furious._

_"You're at least three decades too young to sound like a grumpy old man, you know," Masaki said, a small, triumphant smile on her face._

_"Well, you know where to find it," Ryuken said. "I protest, but nobody ever listens to the voice of reason, do they?"_

_"I knew I could count on you," Masaki said. "Thanks, Ryuken."_

_The heartfelt gratification in her voice seemed to melt the anger right off him, and as she turned around, she felt his hand grabbing her shoulder, gently but firmly._  
_"Don't- don't die." He said blankly, having lost his irritable eloquence. "Masaki, don't die. You hear me?"_

_"I don't intend to," Masaki said. "I came close enough once. I'm going to come back in one piece. So will Ichigo."_

_"Fuck it all..." Ryuken murmured, sounding frustrated. He looked like he had something to say, something important, yet no clue how to say it. "Just... go and get it, all right? I need to get some sleep, anyhow."_

_Masaki turned toward the staircase leading to the attic. Just before she took the first step up, she stopped, and called out to him, already having turned and started walking away._

_"Ryuken!"_

_Immediately, he turned around, and looked at her. Though he had grown older, she saw the same young man that had grown up with her in that old house, always by her side, always there..._

_"I'm going to come back," she said, "and when I do, you're coming to dinner at our place. No excuses."_

_There was a flash of relief on his face, almost something like a smile, then he grumbled something inaudible and turned away. Masaki smiled in the dark, as she made her way up. It was good, catching up._

"...so he just gave it to you?" Uryu said incredulously. "The cheap old man wouldn't even give me allowance when I was growing up."

"He has a soft spot for me, your father," Masaki said. "He really isn't as bad as you think."

"Yeah, yeah..." Uryu grumbled, and Masaki smiled. They really were quite alike.

"The glove." Uryu said, clearly eager to change the subject.

"Yes, right." Masaki said. "Do you know how it works?"

"What grandfather told me... you put it on, and it makes all forms of reiatsu manipulation that much more difficult. It requires a minimum of one-week intensive training to master. If successful, one's grasp of manipulation becomes much stronger- it does nothing to amplify your power, but everything to strengthen what you already have. And if you take it off... you gain a temporary surge in power, but lose your powers altogether. Forever."

"Almost," Masaki said, casually sliding her glove onto her bow hand. "It's not actually permanent. Not if you're careful. Still, I wouldn't recommend taking it off unless you absolutely have to." There was a look of surprise on her face, as the effect of the glove became apparent to her. "Son of a b-beesting, frick," she mumbled. "This really does make a mess of things."

Uryu hesitated a second, then firmly slid his glove on. Instantly, all his control seemed to dissipate, the strands of reiatsu that were normally so simple to grasp begun to slip away. It felt like somebody had put a yoke on his shoulders, and now he had to learn to move with it on.

"Well," Masaki said, forcing a smile, "let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

**So... GKR speaking. Again. I think this makes three chapters in one month, which is a new personal best. We've just got one more chapter to go, and then we get to the actual soul society. How far we've come, eh?**

**So, a few words on the chapter's contents:**

**That cliffhanger we left on last time? Totally my idea. Blame me for that one. I loved it, though. **

**Ichigo's transformation. I know a lot of people who take the series seriously (HAH) will think this one's important, and it is... sort of. Ichigo is still not the protagonist, Erza is. We're going slightly different on this one, in no small part because of the advantage of hindsight- in canon, Ichigo received his hollow then and there, and then it was later retconned by Kubo. We've had it so that Ichigo's had his hollow since well before he was a shinigami- since birth, actually, meaning that the transformation part goes a bit differently. That, and we don't want to just retell the stuff you already know.**

**Ichigo's power level. Anyone who's read A Grim Tale of Reapers will know I despise overpowered protagonists, and I like my Ichigos good and nerfed. Vogo does not. So we've reached an agreement: Ichigo will become as powerful as in canon- up to a certain point. Hueco Mundo, to be specific. Right now, Ichigo is more powerful than he was in canon at this point, by virtue of better training- but he's going to hit a ceiling at some point, and he's not going to be this end-all solution he was in canon. **

**Ryuken and Masaki. Expanding on minor characters is one of the best parts of fan fiction, because it leaves a lot of room for creativity. Make what you will of the scene I wrote- my interpretation of our Ryuken is that he's a lot nicer than he lets on, but doesn't know how to show it. He loves Masaki, quite a bit, possibly in a non-platonic way- but he'd never act on it. Perhaps I'll give him more to do in the future. We'll see.**

**And yeah, that's about it. Look forward to one more chapter wrapping things up, possibly a bit on the shorter side... and then, we take off.**


	36. Blood and Armor

**Well, here you go my fellow readers. This is the last chapter before our main cast goes to save Rukia. Are you guys excited? I sure as hell know that I am. I've waited for this moment for the past two years. Its so hard to believe that we're here. Well, I wont waste anymore of your time. Just don't forget to leave us a review. Id like to see if we can get to 600 before the soul solemnity arc. I know we can, but only if you guys leave us your reviews. It would really mean a lot to me if we could do this. **

**Regardless if we do or not however, I want to thank each and every single one of you that has read this story and told us how you felt. It truly does mean a lot, and We cant thank you enough for that. You guys rock!**

**Special**** thanks once again to GreatKingRat88**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

Over two weeks had gone by, and training had proceeded just according to plan, each individual making noteworthy progress. It was intense, tiring practice on all fronts, but morale was high all around. It was almost to the chagrin of the teenagers that Masaki, Erza and Urahara all insisted there be proper resting pauses. There was no sense in overworking yourself, the three of them had agreed, especially since the more human parties could risk something like a cramp, a torn muscle or spraining.

During one such break, Urahara was sat in his makeshift lab, hat pulled down low as he analyzed data. Things were terribly busy, and he had precious little time to rest. With a bit of coffee thrown into the mix, that made for ideal working conditions for the likes of Urahara Kisuke. He had always been a natural workaholic, at least when he was interested and invested in his work, which was how he had once become chief researcher in the Gotei. Skimming through data for his personal research was the perfect way of getting work done, while keeping the steam up.  
He was so immersed in the beauteous symphony of information, just begging to be sorted, analyzed and quantified, that he didn't even notice the reiatsu of Erza, slowly coming through the doorway.

"What is it?" He mumbled distractedly, noticing her at last. She had just recently showered, he noticed, but she was as fastidious as himself, and if she wasn't already on her way back to training, it meant she had something to say.

"I've been thinking," she said slowly.

"What a change of pace that must be," Urahara said offhandedly, feeling he might get away with the barb.

"I've been thinking," Erza repeated, "that you're going through quite a lot of trouble to help us."

"Uh huh?" Urahara said, still eyeing the data, barely even focusing on Erza.

"It's one thing to let us use the basement, that doesn't cost you anything. But as of Rukia's disappearance, you've personally taken a hand in this. You not only saved Ichigo and Masaki, but you're personally helping with training. You're organizing."

"What can I say, I'm consumed with guilt for having tied you down," Urahara said dismissively, and shrugged. Something in him, though, realized where this was going and slowly, the data began to shrink in priority.

"You never do anything unless it is for personal gain." He could practically_hear_ her brows furrowing.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, actually. You've demonstrated this time and again. So I wonder..._what's in this for you?_"

The question was sharp, to the point, and the tone was clear- she was not going to let this go. Urahara spun round, still seated in his chair, and looked her in the eye. It was a valid question, and she could under no circumstances find out the truth.

"Tell me, Erza, have I ever been anything but useful to you?" He said, keeping his tone quiet and reserved. "Have I ever gotten in your way? Have I ever done anything to you that did not help you?  
"The answer," he said, letting his tone rise a little, cutting her off before she could begin to reply, "is no. In fact, you come to me every time you need a favour that brute force can't resolve. And I am happy to oblige."

"For a price," Erza shot back.

"Has that price ever been unfair?" Urahara retorted. "Have I ever extorted or exploited you, Erza? Have I ever conned you out of money or favours I had not earned? Something for something, that is the oldest form of trade in human history- and I like to think I'm fair."

"Don't sidetrack the issue-" Erza tried, but Urahara cut in again.

"Have I ever been unfair? Answer the question, please."

"I suppose not, no," Erza said irritably.

"A new gigai. Identity papers. A million small favours. I helped you save the children from those quincies all those years ago, and I did it for free. Tell me more, _please,_ about how I only ever do things out of self interest."  
There was an edge to his tone, deliberate, as if he was slowly growing more irritable.

"That doesn't answer my question!" Erza insisted. "What's your stake in all of this?"

"I know your history," Urahara said, still avoiding the answer, "so believe you me when I say I understand. You barely escaped the claws of a wicked, manipulative bastard, so a less wicked, manipulative person like me can't inspire much trust. But as understanding as I am, I am running out of patience. I have been nothing but good to you, and I am getting tired of being treated as if I can do no good. I may not be your kind of touchy-feely, idealistic group-hugs-for-world-pleace friend, but believe you me, I am capable of doing better than you think of me."

"I..." Erza said hesitantly.

Urahara sighed theatrically. "Not convinced, no. I'm not surprised. Let me tell you something, then, that I never shared with anyone. The only one who knows, in fact, is Yoruichi. Did it ever occur to you that yours wasn't the only life ruined by Aizen Sousuke?"

"You mean..." Erza said, surprise apparent in her voice.

"I am not a hero, or a villain, or some amazing soldier." Urahara exposited. He was probably laying it on thick, he realized, but it would probably not matter. "Everything I ever wanted from life was to invent, to do science. I had exactly that. But Aizen Sousuke... he took that from me. He had me framed for murder. You know the hollowification incident?"

"That... you mean that was _him_?" Erza exclaimed. "You were framed?"  
She was incredulous, seeming unsure what to make of this. Given her history, it was not at all an unlikely thing to believe- and its being true was a bonus, too.

Urahara nodded. "I was. I crossed him, by accident, and that was what came of it. I was never a saint, but I never was the dark-as-night villain I was made out to be. I lost an entire life because of him. I lost my science division, my passion, I lost all the friends and contacts I had, I lost my reputation... I lost absolutely everything. Everything except Yoruichi."

Erza took a deep breath. "I... I had no idea." She mumbled. "Wait, you're not lying, are you?"

"I guess I could be," Urahara said, and shrugged. "It's not like I have evidence for this. But ask yourself, does that seem unlikely?"

"...huh." Erza murmured, entirely taken aback.

"So I say," Urahara said sharply, letting his voice rise just enough to sound a little angry, "_believe you me_ when I say I have stake in this. Believe you me when I say I can do good because it's right. Believe you me that you weren't the only one he hurt."

"I'm... I'm sorry." Erza said quietly. "I had no idea."

"It's all right," Urahara said, and sighed. "It's not like I expect people to understand me, anyhow. All they see is a greedy, shifty man looking to get ahead. Which, to be fair, is mostly true."

"I've wronged you." Erza said firmly, and Urahara had to suppress a smile; she was brimming with righteous sympathy. "I sincerely apologize. You're right- you've done right by us."

"Thanks," Urahara said curtly. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." He made a gesture with his head toward the computer screen.

"Of course," Erza said, a little awkwardly. "I'll... I'll uh, see you down in the basement."

"In twenty," Urahara said, nodding affirmatively.

He had only just gotten back to his numbers, grinning quietly to himself, when a familiar voice rang out, sultry and amused,  
"You really haven't lost your touch, have you?"

Urahara let out a most undignified yelp, and actually fell off his chair.

"Aren't you supposed to be down there, training Tatsuki?" He snapped at Yoruichi, who had emerged from the shadows. It was frankly amazing how well she could hide herself when she wanted to, and he was grateful nobody else was there to see him lose his composure like so.

"'I'm no hero', eh?" Yoruichi said, mimicking him. "You weren't exactly subtle."

"Know your target, I remember that one from school," Urahara murmured irritably. "She reacts positively to honesty, and is not used to deception, so it was in fact ideal."

"And when she finds out what's really going on?" Yoruichi said quizzically.

"I'll... deal with those bruises then." Urahara said hesitantly. Being reminded of his mistake made him uneasy, and some part of him, oddly enough, felt ill at ease with his lie, despite its marvelous execution.

"They're making good progress down there," Yoruichi said. "Exceptional, even."

"Yes? What of it?" He said, puzzled by the change of topic.

"So just so I know, how expendable are they for the mission?"

"Do I detect a hint of judgment, Yoruichi?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"No. I just need to know. How many of them do you expect to die?"

"They are soldiers now," he said, and shrugged. "To die is an occupational hazard. Even Erza couldn't fault me for that logic. As for what I want? What I expect? That one item retrieved at any cost. No need to go out of our way to get them killed- but when it comes down to it, it's much more important than any of their lives. That's not being cold, that's reality. Is that a problem?"

"...no." Yoruichi said, and sighed. "This is one thing I don't miss from our old lives. Responsibility for people living or dying."

"It has to be done." Urahara said dispassionately. "No point in worrying about what may come."

Yoruichi nodded. "You're right, I suppose."

"On that note..." Urahara said, rummaging through his desk, "I actually have a contingency plan. Plan B, you might say. Where did I put it..."  
After some rummaging, he produced a small beetle-like device, no larger than the nail of his thumb, gleaming and chrome.

"What's that?" Yoruichi wondered.

"Get that to Rukia. In case it looks like we can't secure her."

"No questions asked, huh?"

"It won't kill or hurt her," Urahara said dismissively. "Your conscience will be clear. But keep it to yourself."

"Yes, it would be a real shame if people started trusting you after full disclosure, eh?" She rolled her eyes.

"Full disclosure and they'd never work with me." Urahara said neutrally. "Get down to the basement. We'll start training again soon."

* * *

Erza stood face to face with Ichigo, a stern look on her face. They were well away from the rest, because they were by far possessed of the most raw power, and a move gone awry could go catastrophically for any innocent bystander, especially with their upped pace. Ichigo held his sword at the ready, kept low, already posturing like a veteran. Erza could point to a hundred and one flaws, of course, but all things considered he had come remarkably far. She had upped the pace gradually as these weeks had gone by, pushing harder than before- and though she had feared many times that she had gone too far, he had not broken. He had adapted, and gotten stronger for it. His reiatsu control was still disgraceful, but his skill with the sword, his bearing as a shinigami, was markedly better.

It would not be enough.

"Ichigo, listen," she said, a hand on her sword, still sheathed.

"I'm good to go." Ichigo said resolutely. Facing her, training this seriously, any sense of immature masculine posturing had been beaten out of him. He was dedicated now, and fully submissive to her expertise.

"There's a problem," Erza said. "If I thought more training would fix it, I'd already be fighting you."

"What is it?" Ichigo said, almost irritably. It was clear he was itching for more training.

"Have you gotten any closer to learning the name of your zanpakutou?" Erza said. "Any dreams? Unusual feelings, instincts?"

"...no." Ichigo muttered. "I guess I figured it'd come naturally, or something."

"I hoped so too," Erza said, and nodded. "However, we have at most a week before it's time. Ichigo, what you will face there are monstrously powerful people. You and I will be our team's heavy hitters, and their lives may depend on your strength- not to mention your own."

"I... I get that," Ichigo murmured, disturbed by the mention of life and death. He had the skills of a warrior, all right, but not the mind of one. "But what am I supposed to do?"

"Not what you will do, no," Erza said, and shook her head. "This is my responsibility."

"Uh?" Ichigo said confusedly. "But I thought-"

"Zanpakutou react to the state of being of their partners," Erza explained. "My first taste of bankai was triggered in a state of near death. Extreme situations help."

"So, um... there's a problem we can't solve with brute-force training, and your solution is to use _even more_ brute force. To a point where I might die." He said the words flatly, as if both in disbelief and utterly unsurprised at the same time. "No, no, that's... that's very _you._ I shouldn't expect anything else."

"I will go all out, even using my shikai," Erza said coolly. "And by all out I mean no punches pulled. I'll try to hurt you. I'll run you through, I'll cut you, I'll do whatever it takes. Are you prepared for this?"

"I have a choice?" Ichigo said incredulously.

"Yes." Erza said. "I would never force this on you. Either we do this, or you may walk away, ceasing training altogether."

"Oh, a _choice,_" Ichigo snorted. "Right. 'Keep going or else', that sort of choice. Right."

"Do you accept?" Erza said sternly, not indulging his sarcasm.

"...yes." Ichigo said. "Do your worst."

Wordlessly, Erza pulled her sword, and without even using its command, it turned into two long, sleek katana, one held in each hand.  
"Be ready, then."

He'd been ready. He had been _sure_ he was ready. His mind and body was well-honed, trained in live missions and even more rigorously in training. He had gotten to know his aunt's style. He had gotten to test it on one of her best students, and had nearly come out on top. _He should have been ready._  
But when his aunt had come barreling down on him, slamming into him like a locomotive armed with two-feet-long razors spinning like a whirlwind, it had been all he could do to not be cut down instantly. He had been forced back, only barely keeping himself balanced, his arms working overtime to just block the absurd number of attacks. Within seconds, he had taken maybe a dozen minor cuts, and he suddenly realized just how big the difference between them was. She wasn't even using that much more energy than him, she was just... fast. Really, really fast, and she hit with the force of a tsunami.  
There was no time to think, only to react. Desperately, his mind fell into all the patterns he knew and had trained for, so hard, reading her moves at an instinctive level. Parry a thrust, thrust, thrust, slash, thrust, slash slash thrust stab...  
All in the span of a second.

It was insane. How in the world was he supposed to compete? How in the world would he be able to fight in the soul society, if this was the level he was going to go up against?

A burning pain interrupted his terrified musings, and he staggered back, a deep, thick line of red appearing over his chest. Erza kicked him in the midsection, keeping him off balance, and mercilessly attacked again.  
She had cut him. Seriously. She had cut him across the chest, hard, and it could have killed him. Part of Ichigo desperately wanted to cry uncle, to give up, to just _not die_ and take a moment to breathe, but something inside him, something stubborn, utterly refused.

This, he realized, might have been a mistake. A second later, his lame attempt at a parry in his disoriented state was batted aside, and she ran both of her blades through his gut, and Ichigo felt his feet lift from the ground, carried up by the hard, vicious metal of her blades. He let out a shocked gasp, spitting blood. As if they had never existed at all, the blades dissolved. He dropped to the floor, somehow keeping his footing, and Erza kicked him again. He could see her shikai re-forming, now a spear and shield. Relentlessly, without mercy or restraint, she thrust forward, shield raised high and spear stabbing at him. Breathing raggedly, almost panicking, Ichigo somehow managed to remember how to still fight, how to still defend, how to still stay up and alive.

There was a hot flash of pain as one thrust just barely missed his head, raking across his cheek, and Ichigo took one step after another back, parrying for dear life. His arms were getting heavy, and fear threatened to overtake him.  
_For Rukia!_ he insisted, somewhere deep in his mind. _Survive! For her! She needs you, and so do all the others!_

Without warning, the spear changed into a two-handed axe, the shield disappearing in the process, and Erza brought it to bear in a viciously powerful sideways cut. Ichigo parried, but there was a sharp pain in his arm as the sheer power of the blow sent him sliding to the left. It went numb, and he found he could barely move it.  
Thinking quickly, he lashed out with his foot. It was a move born out of desperation, but it worked. Connecting solidly with her chest, it sent her back a couple of paces, and Ichigo quickly put whatever distance he could between them. He flexed the fingers of his numbed arm, and to his relief, they responded. At least the arm wasn't broken- although it couldn't have been far off.

Unclear and rattled with terror as his mind was, his heart still skipped a beat when he saw what came next. The black, huge sword had formed in Erza's hands. She had hardly ever used it in training; it was much too powerful, and she was already better with a two-handed style than he was anyway. Now, she was coming at him.  
A chill ran down Ichigo's spine as he bent backwards, evading the first blow altogether. He lost his balance, but before he hit the ground, he pushed his feet into the ground hard, and turned it into a quick somersault. He was just barely able to deflect the next blow, and though he managed to turn it into a glancing strike, deflecting most of its force with a downwards parry, it still felt as it would take both his arms off.  
His mentor did not stop, did not relent. Methodically and ruthlessly, she rained strike after strike down on Ichigo. Her attacks were slower than before; evidently the sword had weight to it, but it didn't matter. They were faster than his own still, and it was a miracle that he had not faltered yet. One single clean hit, he was sure, would kill him. He knew for a fact that he couldn't keep it up. His arms were getting wearier, each hit threatening to pop an arm out of its socket or worse, and he was getting slower. There were no advantages. There was just survival, and the sand in the hourglass was running out.

Finally, a forceful blow caught his sword, and the force was massive. He could let go of it, and perhaps retain his balance, but letting go of your weapon was never an option. Holding on to it as he did, the raw power knocked him off his feet, only one hand managing to hold on to the sword. Now on his back, he saw her raise the sword again. She couldn't...

Could she?

Erza raised her sword, and in slow motion, he saw it start to come down.

Then he realized that it was not, in fact, mere adrenaline and whatever other chemicals ran through his body changing his perception. The world was slowing down, literally so, to a crawl, finally freezing entirely. Like a statue, with a pitiless and firm face, Erza stood above him, sword raised and ready to come down. The world, he noticed, had gone grey.

"What the...?" He murmured confusedly, taking the time to breathe. Was this some sort of... near-death experience?

"Ichigo."

The voice echoed across all of reality, and Ichigo realized where he was. He looked up toward Erza again, only to find that she was gone. He stood on a flat, white surface, surrounded by blue sky. The top of a skyscraper, he realized, and in front of him stood the old man in his torn and tattered cloak, with his odd glasses and stern face.

"What... the hell..." Ichigo said, breathing raggedly. He realized that he was not actually short of breath, feeling oddly normal. It was odd- just seconds ago, his blood had been pumping, his mind a cocktail of terror, adrenaline and focus, and here he was, calmer than he had any right to be.

"Her gambit worked." The spirit said neutrally. "You stand at death's door, Ichigo. What will you do?"

"Give me your name, and I'll show you!" Ichigo said, standing up.

"You are arrogant still," the spirit remarked. "What right do you have?"

"We'll both die, how about that?" Ichigo snapped.

"It matters not," the spirit said in an infuriatingly calm tone. "The rules do not bend for something so petty as cessation of existence."

Ichigo felt like swearing. After a moment's consideration, he decided that it was entirely justified.

"What the fuck, old man?" He snarled. "I don't want to die! Tell me how I get out of this, or..."

"Or what?" The spirit said dismissively. "You have no power here, Ichigo. The only way to gain any is to learn my name."

"And you won't help me do it!" Ichigo snapped.

"It is your labour, not mine," said the zanpakutou.

Ichigo felt anger nearly overcoming him, and very badly wanted to launch into a ranting, furious tirade, to shout until his head hurt. He remembered his training, though.  
_Control yourself. Control your feelings, don't let them control you. Find a solution. Getting angry won't help._

Fists balled, he took a few angry breaths, and looked at the spirit.  
"How long do I have?"

"Who can say?" It shrugged. "A second or less. But what comes to pass here is different. A second may well be eternity. Or five minutes."

"Five minutes." Ichigo murmured. "And you're not going to help."

"You really ought to show more consideration for him, you know,"  
The voice was carefree, sounding as disinterested as one could while simultaneously actually talking to somebody. Light and deeply arrogant, it was markedly out of place. Ichigo snapped his head round from where it had come.  
Floating through the air, looking as if he was laying on a divan, there was Tetsu no Tama. Adorned in his golden armour, he was demonstratively eating from a cluster of grapes, practically oozing superiority.

"What?!" Ichigo snapped. "How- how the hell-?"

"He is an intruder here," said the old man, scowling.

"Oh, don't mind me," Tetsu no Tama said. "But you have to admit, the boy needs a pointer or two. He's not very bright. Being a reflection of him, neither are you, of course."

"How are you even here?" Ichigo said incredulously. "Don't you zanpakutou have like... I dunno, private space?"

"I can go wherever I want," The haughty spirit said. "Although if you were to insist, I suppose I could say that, in this moment, there is a bond between you and Erza, strong enough for me to carry through. Or an apparition, at least."

"...you're here to help." Ichigo said with disbelief.

"You had best be grateful, you little mongrel cur," Tetsu no Tama said, almost mischievously. "To be perfectly frank, I'd have no trouble watching you die. You're a filthy little upstart with more power than you have any right to wield." He took another bite from his grapes.  
"But then again, your death would pain my master so, especially since it would be at her hands." He rolled his eyes. "She is something of a fool, but she _is_ my master."

"She wouldn't... kill me, would she?" Ichigo said uncertainly.

"She had to make it real," Tetsu no Tama said indifferently. "She most likely won't, but the question is if she can even stop herself. So, here I am."

"Be gone," the old man insisted. "You intrude on something sacrosanct."

"You're not exactly being helpful, so I intervene." Tetsu no Tama said, his voice cold but the hint of a smile on his face. "Somebody has to give the idiot a pointer."

"Yes, yes, I'm a low-born idiot, blah blah," Ichigo said irritably. "Why the hell won't he help me in the first place?"

"Because you're a low-born idiot," Tetsu no Tama echoed. "Have you even considered where he comes from?"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo said quizzically.

"Allow me," the regal figure said, dropping his grapes, which promptly vanished. "A normal zanpakutou develops over time. It learns to know itself, its powers, and the soul that gave birth to it. This poor spirit here... he was forced into existence, whole, all at once. I imagine that's quite traumatic."

"I need not your pity," The old man snapped.

"You do not have my pity, you have my contempt," Tetsu no Tama said sharply. "It is a pitiful state of being, though, born of desperation. In some sense it's noble, I suppose, to take drastic, life-risking measures for the sake of a friend..."  
Theatrically, he yawned, as if bored.  
"But in doing so, you violated a bond that didn't even have time to exist yet. Zanpakutou are proud, and we do not bend to our would-be masters' wills easily. Here he stands. Do you feel his pain?"

Carefully, Ichigo viewed the old man. A look of quiet anger was on his face, and he stared back at Ichigo.

"Of course you don't," Tetsu no Tama said, "Neither of you can feel or understand the other. You have no clue what to do next, and _you,_" he said, pointing to the old man, "are too offended and stubborn to help."

"Did you come here just to sneer at us, or what?" Ichigo said angrily.

"I'm not finished!" Tetsu no Tama snapped. "You do not feel each other. He is stubborn, because you are stubborn. You are one and the same, yet distinct. That is a principal rule of zanpakutou and master."

"You're not what I'd call 'one and the same' with Erza," Ichigo shot back. "You're like day and night."

"You're ignorant." Tetsu no Tama said flatly. "I was born in a time when my master was in an uncertain, new place, trying to find her way in a strange world. Trying to be her best while striving for more power- I was born out of pride and ambition, and that is who I am. Only a base, low-grade zanpakutou is exactly like its master."

Ichigo looked at Zangetsu. _Similar, yet alike._ He had to connect to this irritable old man somehow, reach across his pride...  
"Listen," Ichigo said, looking straight into his zanpakutou's eyes, ignoring the intruder, "I need you to work with me. I'm new to this whole business too, and I... I had no idea of the implications of what I was doing. I trusted my aunt. Maybe I should have been more careful. But you need to work with me, give me a chance, or it's over for the both of us. We both deserve more than that, don't you think?"

The spirit gave him a long, quiet look, somewhere in between scornful and ponderous.  
"Why do you deserve my name?" It said at last.

"Maybe I don't." Ichigo said, and shrugged. "But if you let me have it, I'll work to be worthy of it. I'll do what I have to do. I'll think of how you feel. I'll speak to you and learn who you are."

The spirit, having stood a few paces away, took a few steps closer. It was hard to read him, but something told Ichigo he was not quite as hostile as he had been earlier.  
"I would hold you to that," he said gravely. "If you failed to uphold your promises, I would withhold my power."

"That's only fair," Ichigo nodded. "So what do you say?"  
He extended a hand, hoping with great anticipation that it would work. Slowly, the spirit extended its hand, and shook it firmly.

"Partners?" Ichigo said with a grin.

"Partners." The spirit said, an almost approving tone to its voice.

"So... your name?" Ichigo said.

"You already know it."

"I... I do." Ichigo said hesitantly. "I'm glad to make your acquaintance... Zangetsu."  
Just how he knew, he had no idea. The knowledge simply welled into his mind, like a long-lost memory forgotten and then recovered. Tetsu no Tama was nowhere to be seen, apparently having phased out of their world, and there was a general sense of rightness in Ichigo's chest. Zangetsu. Cutting moon. It felt... appropriate, somehow.

* * *

Without warning he was back in the real world, all his pains and adrenaline in place again, Erza's sword raised above him. His sword now transformed, looking absurdly like an oversized kitchen knife, Ichigo made a sideways cut with it. There was a tremendous energy pouring out from him now, as if having come out of nowhere, and the sheer force of his cut somehow pulled him forward, on his feet. It didn't even nearly connect with Erza, but as he found out an instant later, it didn't have to. Energy surged forward from the edge of his sword, sharp and vicious, and hit her square in the chest. She was knocked off her feet, a massive cut across her torso. Blood sprayed over the ground, and Ichigo put a hand over his mouth, horrified. Dropping his newly formed Zangetsu, he hurried to her side. Her own zanpakutou had sealed itself, and she was coughing blood.

"Aunt!" He cried out, kneeling by her side. "Oh- oh my god, are-are you-"  
Shinigami were durable, he knew, but the thought of having done this to her was enough to make him forget.

"Are-are you okay?" Erza said, forcing herself up into a sitting position, still holding on to her sword. "Did it work?"

"Are you kidding me?" Ichigo said, his nerves wracked. "It should be me asking you that! And yes, it did!"

"Good, then," Erza said, and nodded. "Don't... worry about me. I've had worse."

"I'm so, so sorry," Ichigo murmured feverishly, looking at her helplessly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know, I-"

"I'll be fine," Erza grunted. "It always looks worse than it is. Damn... you're pretty strong, though."

Ichigo was about to launch into another terrified tirade, and Erza promptly put a hand over his mouth.

"Listen," she said, her voice straining a little, "you did great and I am proud of you. Don't blame yourself- this was all on me. Understood?"

Ichigo nodded sheepishly, Erza's hand still clamped over his mouth.

"Good. Now... go get Orihime. For the both of us." She grimaced, her voice turning into a croak toward the end.

Hands on, indeed...

* * *

With a spinning kick, Tatsuki used her staff to launch herself into the air, slamming both feet into Yoruichi. The dark-skinned woman blocked her with both hands, and Tatsuki landed nimbly on the ground, continuing her assault with a set of quick thrusts from her staff, setting up for a sweep at her not-mentor's feet. She dodged it easily enough, jumping into the air, which was the opening Tatsuki had been waiting for. Slamming her staff forward, it hit Yoruichi in the gut. There was a discharge of energy, and she was sent flying. Mercilessly, Tatsuki surged forward, eager to push her advantage.  
When she first had unlocked the power of her staff- or rather, started to use her own power through it- she had been afraid she might hurt Yoruichi. It had soon become apparent that her fears were entirely unfounded. She wasn't sure just how powerful the woman was; suffice to say it was best summed up as 'a lot'. She had even encouraged Tatsuki to go all out. With some hesitation, that was what Tatsuki had eventually started doing.

She had no delusions that she was strong or fast enough to actually keep up with Yoruichi. She was adjusting her strength and speed, slowing down as you would for a child, but there was also the objective fact that Tatsuki was getting stronger and faster, and rapidly at that.  
In the weeks that had passed, with its intense, almost non-stop sparring, Yoruichi had turned out to be a much better teacher than either of them had expected. She would put emphasis on slowing down, taking small breaks to run through the motions of their last bout, which parts worked and which ones needed improving. She made Tatsuki perfect smaller, simpler moves, one by one, before moving on to the next. She was a true expert, that much was clear, although you never would have guessed with how she acted normally. When she wasn't busy throwing punches, Tatsuki found herself wondering just what sort of life she had once led, to grant her that level of skill. It was above and beyond that of any human, that was for sure... and that made it a privilege to learn from her.

She surged forward, power running through her staff and into her body, enveloping her like a cloak, and she attempted a quick, wide swipe. Yoruichi had already recovered, though, landing on her feet, and smoothly bent backwards, the swipe running wide over her. Quickly, Tatsuki pulled back, knowing what would come next. Practiced hundreds of times before, a series of kicks and punches designed to find a crack in her defense. Almost with ease, Tatsuki defended, only taking a few steps before she started to gain control of the fight again.

She was getting there. She was getting stronger. She would not be anybody's dead weight.

* * *

Training looked quite different for Masaki and Uryu. The first week had gone by entirely without any form of martial discipline, the two of them struggling to perform even basic tasks under the oppressive difficulty placed on them by their gloves.  
The problem had been quite straightforward, once the initial shock wore off. It was like re-learning reishi usage all over again, but it wasn't mentally challenging- rather, it had been like chopping down a tree or laying a wall- a simple if tedious task, with an end in sight. To have been two had helped, not just for mental support, but because sharing information had actually been useful. More than ever before, the two of them were bonding, even if it were out of necessity.

The second week, the two of them had started using their bows. Now as the second week was ending, they were finally starting to reap the benefits. Their bows were manifest as physical, elaborate things, graceful and large, and though heavy to string, fired bolts far stronger and more accurate than they ever had before. Uryu was in awe of it, however much he tried not to show it. Masaki, for her part, was almost enjoying herself. There was something about the discipline, the art to it, the skill it took to execute, that appealed to her. In a way, she understood the shinigami a little better now, despite their differences.

Now they fired their bows, dashing back and forth, having set up what crude targets they could. It was still rather difficult, the glove still having put a restraint on them, but once they entered the soul society, a realm made up entirely of spiritual particles, this would be more than made up for. They were getting stronger, together. No matter what, they would make it.

* * *

Urahara nimbly dodged another punch, and rapped Chad across the head with his cane, as he did each time the boy missed. He endured all punishment stoically, to a point where it almost took the fun out of abusing him, but Urahara persevered. The boy had strength, all right, downright abnormal, and was more than fit to take on a high ranked officer. Excepting one small problem- rather major, in fact. What he had in strength, he lacked in speed, and the moment a skilled shunpo user started taking him seriously, he'd die the death of a thousand cuts- or just the one, depending on the strength and ability of his enemy. With this in mind, Urahara had trained this aspect alone, teaching him how to react fast enough. In such a short time span, he'd never learn to be that fast- but he could learn how to handle a faster opponent, at least well enough. He was making steady progress, just like everybody else. Part of Urahara wanted nothing more than to poke and prod at all of them, take data and examine what made them tick, even if it took years, being ever the curious-minded scientist. There was no time, however. There was... no time.  
Even with Erza heading this expedition, with Yoruichi backing them up, they were all of them walking into the jaws of death, and he did not share their naive optimism. He suppressed a sigh, and kept up the training. It was a lot of effort for a long shot, with small chances of success. Then again, the unlikely happened all the time. The ordinary would not exist without the extraordinary, after all.

Orihime, for her part, was doing even better. Under Tessai's tutelage- which was by far the least physically demanding- she was developing her abilities wonderfully. They were absolutely fascinating, a total mystery to Urahara, for all his knowledge as a scholar. Would that he could study it...  
As it was, she was learning to if not master her skills, then at least use them adequately. To support her allies directly and indirectly, to protect, to heal, even to fight. In her own way, she might just end up being the linchpin of the entire group, provided they were all working together. Optimistic, of course... but optimism was all they'd have. Oh well. Some things just had to be done...

* * *

It was just a few days ahead of their deadline when, in the morning, Erza called for their training to be put on hold. All of them were a little surprised, curious. Whatever was important enough to stop for? Gathered together all, with Urahara, Tessai and Yoruichi standing in the background, Erza rounded the kids up in a semi-circle.

"So... what's up?" Ichigo was the first to speak up.

Erza had a strange look on her face, markedly unlike the confident, stern front she normally kept. Taking one, two deep breaths, she looked across all of them, almost as if she was nervous.

"I am sure it must be important." Uryu said politely. "Miss Scarlet?"

"What is it, Erza?" Orihime asked.

Erza breathed out again, and made a fist.  
"There are some... things that you _need_ to know before we set out," she started to explain, forcing the words out. "We are heading into a place you have no idea about. A place I once called home."

Ichigo's bearing sharpened, and he furrowed his brows, looking keenly interested. "You mean... where you came from?"

"Yes," Erza said, taking another deep breath. "Where I... came from. Mind you, that's a very long story and I'm going to skim over most of it. You'll know what's necessary to know."

"That's plenty," Orihime said cheerily.

"All right then," Erza said, tensing a little.  
"I was not born on this earth. I was born on another world, well over a hundred years ago, a world a lot like our and a lot different. Magic was the norm, and humans were not the only sentient species."  
Her audience was drinking it in, their expressions ranging from Uryu's casually interested to Ichigo's fascinated.

"As a child, I was made a slave. I escaped, a good friend dying in the process, and I was taken into a guild of mages where I grew up to become strong, to learn everything I stand for now. I won't get bogged down there- suffice to say I died nineteen years old, giving my life for a friend."

There were a range of expressions of pity, of sympathy and empathy from her audience, and Erza quickly added,  
"That was a _long_ time ago, and I got over it. The important stuff is still ahead of us."

"I was sent into the soul society by a shinigami, somehow, and my soul found itself in the afterlife. I made my way there as best I could, and I was strong. Strong enough that the shinigami noticed me, and recruited me- under a bit of threat at that. I accepted, and I went through the shinigami academy. I... made friends there."  
She paused, and took another few breaths. None of them had seen her like this before, seeming so open, so vulnerable, finding it so hard to even speak.  
"They died, you see," Erza said, her voice straining to keep steady, as the old wounds made themselves remembered. "A freak accident on our first mission. Everyone in my class, except one... killed by a hollow too strong for us all. But I... made it through. I did my best to get stronger, to be the best me that I could be, so that I could make the afterlife a better place. I wanted power, so I could make it... better."

"Better?" Ichigo said quietly. "What do you mean?"

Erza grimaced. "Reincarnation, paradise... whatever religion tells you about the afterlife, it's not true. It ranges from being a livable, decent place to being an utter hellhole. Most of it is like living in a third world country. The Japan of today? With law, order, human rights and a comfortable, rich middle class?" She shook her head with distaste. "You'd find living in the afterlife to be terrible, most likely. People are at the mercy of hollow attacks, warlords rule the areas, and... the Gotei Thirteen does nothing about it. But I'm getting ahead of myself."

There was a collective look of shock from the group, excepting Chad and Uryu, who bore her words stoically.

"So that's... the afterlife, huh?" Ichigo mumbled.

"It is," Erza nodded. "When first I became a shinigami, rising through the ranks, all I wanted was to change that. But nobody wanted what I wanted, and... I started to despair. That was when he found me."

"Is that the guy you mentioned back then, when I was injured?" Ichigo said.

Erza nodded. "Aizen Souske. He came to me at a time when I wanted justice, and pretended he wanted that as well. He offered me a chance to join his rebellion, and I did. He is a cruel and ruthless man, but at the time, I thought of him as a saviour. Somebody to... right all of the wrongs. So I became a traitor, for his sake."

She took a deep breath. "It is because of him I was thrown out. I _am_ a criminal, but not what they think I am. I chose right over law. I did wrong in doing so, but not because of the choice itself. Sort of."

"So that's it..." Orihime muttered, looking uncharacteristically focused.

"It is him that I go back to face," Erza said and nodded, "and it is him who is behind Rukia's sentence. The influence he has..."  
She shook her head. "I'm getting ahead of myself again."

"There are thirteen captains of the Gotei, and I will tell you about each one. Keep this in mind, under _no circumstances, ever_, do you attempt to fight one. You will lose, and you will lose badly, with the exception of myself, Masaki and Yoruichi. Is that clear?"

There were a chorus of nods and murmured affirmatives, and Erza continued.

"The first captain is the captain-general of the Gotei, Yamamoto Genryusai-Shigekuni. He is the strongest single soul in the afterlife, and nobody can match him. Needless to say, you do not fight him. Most likely, though, he will not involve himself directly. The second captain is Soifon, the head assassin and spymaster. She is small, nimble and quick, and she will kill you unless she is going to capture you for information. Do not fight her."

"I am sensing a theme..." Tatsuki muttered.

"The third is Ichimaru Gin," Erza continued. "One of Aizen's lieutenants, he's a sadistic murderer with a smile on his face. If you see him, run. Do not fight him."

"The afterlife sounds just as chipper as I imagined," Uryu remarked.

"The fourth is Unohana Retsu. She is a good person, and it is safe to surrender to her. Nevertheless, she is one of their very strongest. As I said... do not fight her." Erza said. "The fifth is Aizen himself. He has brown hair and glasses, and will make himself seem like the kindest, most understanding soul in the world, but do not believe a word he says. His power is illusion, perfect illusion, and once he uses it you are helpless."

"Well..." Ichigo said, the nature of their mission starting to dawn on him.

"You already saw the captain of sixth," Erza said. "Ruthless and graceful but fair, he can be surrendered to- but it is absolutely fatal to engage him in combat. Seventh is Komamura Sajin, a giant of a man. He is honourable, but... as the above, much too strong. Eighth is Kyoraku Shunsui, and though he seems affable and laid back, do not be fooled. He is stronger than you, than me, than most anybody else. Ninth is another of Aizen's people, Tosen Kaname. He is blind, but do not be fooled. He fancies himself merciful and just, but to fall into his hands is to fall into Aizen's, and that is not an option. Next is Hitsugaya Toshiro, the youngest of the captains, white-haired and short. Eleventh..."  
She paused, and took a breath.

"The captain of eleventh is a demon and you must never go near him," she said, her voice passionate, almost angry. "He lacks any of the skills that the other use casually, but he is still so madly strong and dangerous that he earned his place as captain of the most vicious division of all. He's a murderer who lives for nothing but fighting."

"Uhm. Okay. Got it." Ichigo murmured, taken aback.

"The only man worse than him is the captain of twelfth, Kurotsuchi Mayuri," Erza said, a note of hate in her voice. "He is what our friend over there would be," she pointed toward Urahara, "if he had no moral restraints whatsoever. Kurotsuchi is a monster who cares for nothing but scientific research, and would gladly torture you all to death for scientific data."

"No objection there, no," Urahara concurred. "He's mad as a hatter and even eviller than miss Scarlet makes him sound."

"That leaves thirteenth, and one of the few good people left. Ukitake Jushiro. Sickly, but powerful, he could be surrendered to, and you could expect fair treatment. You'd know him by his white hair."

"If we do run into one of these guys, then?" Ichigo said tentatively. "Like the murdering psycho or the... science murdering psycho?"

"Run." Erza said simply. "Unless somebody strong enough is around, _run._Dying would be your second best option."

"Yikes..." Tatsuki muttered.

"This is not some Sunday picnic," Erza said firmly. "This is a mission, with the risk of death attached to it. I'd rather have gone alone, but now that you are here, you might as well know the risks. That's it in a nutshell- thirteen murderously powerful individuals, three of which are party to a conspiracy to overthrow the rest. And I used to be part of their group."

Ichigo frowned. "Well... that was a lot of information. Like, a lot. I don't remember half of those names."

Erza nodded. "We're taking all of today off. I'm teaching you every relevant fact I know, and you'll repeat it till you know it by heart."

Ichigo nodded, suppressing a grumble. "Back it up a bit, though. So... you really were a traitor?"

Erza looked stange. "...yes," she said, her voice sounding strained again.  
"I want to say I was vulnerable, that I was led astray. That I was manipulated. It's not untrue, but... I am responsible for my own actions. I saw the Gotei and I saw that it was wrong. I wanted to end its callousness, its tyranny and cruelty, but in doing so I turned to an evil, tyrannical and cruel man."

"You did what you thought was right," Orihime insisted, keen to defend her adopted mother.

"Yes." Erza said flatly. "I did. That was the problem. Before then, I always believed that there was right and there was wrong. Now I see that right and wrong... they depend entirely on the situation. Back then, there was no right choice. To continue serving the Gotei, or to serve Aizen, neither worked. I lost a lot of friends, a whole life, but... in some ways, ending up where I am now seems the better option."

"I won't judge," Ichigo said hastily. "I haven't been through what you been through, and... it can't have been easy. It's not my business."

"Enough," Erza said. Seein she was clearly troubled, the group let the matter lie. "Like I said... we have a lot to go through, and it's more important than a day of training. Furthermore, we have only a few days left- and the two last, you will spend resting." A hum of discontent and disagreement threatened to rise between the youths, but Erza snuffed it out immediately, her voice rising. "This is not up for debate. Today we talk intel, then we train a couple days more, and the last two, you rest. Believe me, you'll need it."

Further protests were, they realized, futile, and as always Erza got her way.

* * *

It was the last day before they were to depart, and as night fell, Erza found she could not sleep. Anticipation wracked her nerves, long-buried memories surfacing. Old friends she had not seen for decades, most of which surely thought of her as an evil traitor, the worst of the worst. People she would have to face. Most of all, the face of Aizen Sousuke, a man she had once sworn loyalty to. She would have to face him, she knew it somehow. If he was behind this, and he undoubtedly was...

Trying to shake off her anticipations and fears, she walked round the shop, heading toward the basement once more. She had slept here the last few weeks, dedicating herself entirely to her new purpose, now on vacation from her job. A few sets of sword practice forms would clear her head.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" The voice was unmistakable, the perfect mix of teasing and serious. Urahara Kisuke. Her opinion of him had... changed. Although she did not trust him, not quite, he had been instrumental in organizing this mission, and had done so with gusto. This considered, she refrained from scowling at him, and continued.

"I figured you'd be up, actually," he continued, "which is just as well, because there is something I'd like you to see."

"What?" Erza said flatly. She had just got out of bed, too haunted by old memories to sleep yet still tired, and was in no mood for his usual tomfooleries.

"Please, come with me," he said with a smile, which seemed unusually genuine. "I assure you that it will be worth your time."

"It had better," Erza muttered, and followed as he turned his back to her, leading her toward one of his back rooms. The interior was stacked with dusty shelves, containing all sorts of unremarkable trinkets. Further inside was something, standing upright under a sheet of fabric. Urahara stopped by it, grinning as if in anticipation- of a kind running in an opposite direction to Erza's.

"Well, what is it?" She said, unable to keep the irritation from her voice. It wasn't fair, if she was honest with herself, but neither was being unable to sleep, knowing she had to face what was ahead of her.

"You and Yoruichi talk, I know," he said, but Erza cut him off.

"I swear to god, if you're going to be cryptic, I'm just going to walk out."

"Patience, patience," Urahara said hastily. "You and Yoruichi talk, and Yoruichi talks to me. Not to imply that she spies on you for me, of course, but some things make their way to my ear through friendly banter."

"Get to the point," Erza said bluntly.

"You were a mage once. As a mage, you wore armour- a state of things which, by the way, seems entirely overpowered and ought to be nerfed- as is reflected in your bankai."

"What of it?" Erza said, feeling mildly irked. She wasn't keen on sharing her past, and Urahara having gained some knowledge of it, even if it was indeed innocent, was not something that made her glad.

"Oh, nothing," Urahara said. "It's just that it gave me an idea. And sometimes when I get an idea on my head, it just won't leave."  
Grabbing the sheet with one hand, he pulled it clean off whatever it was standing on. As if on cue, a light lit up just above it, illuminating the object beneath.

Erza blinked. It was a mannequin of sorts, or at least the torso and head part of one. On top of it...  
Armour. Half-plate mail, a gleaming, chrome-coloured cuirass, with solid pauldrons attached. A couple of minor plates to protect the arms, and a metal rim extending below the waist. Solid lengths of plate running down the thighs, stopping above the knees. A metal collar by the neck, to guard against thrusts to the neck. It was brand new, masterfully crafted, and on the chest, emblazoned in bright red, was the emblem of Fairy Tail. It was certainly not her old armour, that she had once worn in life, but it was close enough.

"How..." she said, her voice trembling.

"Taking your measurements was easy enough," Urahara said dismissively. "And in case you're going to ask, no, it was nothing ungentlemanly- I just took it based on your shihakusho. It's amazing, the things you'll learn from a laundry basket. The emblem... well, you carry it on your arm. Not too hard to copy."  
He sounded proud as he continued expositing, his penchant for flair and drama resurging.

"This... it's..." Erza said, honestly dumbstruck. "But... will it even work? It's- it's nice- well actually it's brilliant, but... hollows don't care about a sheet of metal, so..."

He grinned. "The ore I used for the plate was infused with reishi at a molecular level, effectively making it as much spiritual as it is physical. It's quite brilliant, actually. I enlisted the help of an armorer from Toledo, and over the course of a few months, I had it made. It's based on a Prussian Landsknechte- not that you'd now what a Prussian is, I suppose. Or a Landsknechte. It's not without quite a few designs of my own, I should add. In effect, this thing will act like a second skin, absorbing your own energy. It will be as strong as you need it to be."

"That..." Erza said, slowly walking closer, inspecting the armour with pure fascination. It was expertly crafted, she had to admit, not a single item out of place. "But my bankai..."

"Did I mention that the straps are kido-enchanted, and can attach and unattach themselves at the user's will?" He said, grinning proudly. "Taking it off won't even require the use of your hands. In addition, it has a tracing signature, in case you should lose it."

Slowly, Erza lifted the cuirass up from the mannequin, and gingerly separated its back and front plate, sliding it over her head. As she put her arms through, the armour fastened itself just like Urahara had promised, sitting tight but not too tight. It took little more effort to fasten the arm-plates. To her delight, she discovered a pair of armoured gloves as well, to complete the set. With light protection for the arms, and heavy protection around the chest and midsection, it allowed for both shielding and mobility. It felt... perfect.

"Do you like it?" Urahara said, obviously knowing the answer.

"I... yes." Erza murmured flatly, staring at the immaculate working of the gloves. "Just... why? Why go to all this trouble?"

"Well.. suffice to say that when I get a project in my mind, the process of creating is more enjoyable than the end result," Urahara said smoothly. "It was a new and unique challenge. That, and... I think you might need it."

"Thank you." Erza said, honestly and from her heart. "I... I don't even know what to say..."

"Well, I believe you just said 'thank you'-" Urahara started, but was cut off by Erza catching him in a bear hug.

"Can't... breathe..." he choked dramatically, as Erza held him close.

Armour. Encasing her chest, her body, a sensation she never realized how much she missed. It felt so solid and safe. Now... now she would face whatever came her way. And perhaps get some sleep, for that matter.

* * *

**GKR speaking. I just wanted to comment on Ichigo's zanpakutou scene. I know some people will probably think it's uninspired, or insufficient, and I can see where you'd be coming from. However, the traditional approach in such a scene is some vague, generic test of character, some riddle or puzzle for the hero to solve, and I neither wanted to write one, nor could I think of one that fit. Rather, I chose a simple promise. Whether that worked, I leave up to you. Bear in mind, as we're currently engaged in a re-telling of bleach, I am trying my best not to give you too much of what you've already seen; I'm trying my best to diversify my content.**

**(And no, Ichigo still won't be the protagonist- we'll be trying to split screen time evenly across the soul society arc, with Erza as the main focus.)**


	37. Fairy Tail Reborn

**My fellow readers, we are here, we are FINALLY here! No more training, no more discussions of the past, no more build up. We are FINALLY at the "Saving Rukia" portion of the soul society arc, what many consider to be Bleach's peak. Its so hard for me to believe that we're actually here. When I put this story up two years ago, this seemed so far away. To ACTUALLY be here just makes me smile.**

**But the best part? We've managed to gain so much support, and so many readers before getting to this point! We didn't just get 600 reviews like I had hopped from the last chapter, no we SURPASSED that.**

**Each and every single one of you who has left a review, and has given us either praise, or criticism, we cant not begin to thank you enough. Youve all been so important in helping push us and this story forward. Thank you, thank you so much. I cant wait to see what you guys, and others will have to say about what we have after this point. I do believe that you will all be quite satisfied. So please leave us a review.**

**But, your not here to hear my gratitude, no, your here for the story, so without further ado, lets begin!**

**Special**** thanks once again to GreatKingRat88**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

The day had come. Three weeks had passed much too quickly- or not quickly enough, to some- and one morning, all eight of them stood gathered in front of Kisuke and Tessai, down in the basement, where a gate had been prepared. They had expended quite some energy in doing so, enough that the keener reiatsu readers of the group had felt it as it were done. It didn't look much at the moment, a simple rectangular stone archway with a few steps leading up to it, seemingly see-through and unremarkable, but at this point they had all learned to take nothing for granted.

They stood gathered, anticipation hanging thick in the air, and Erza stepped up, facing them. She stood clad in her new armour, something which had drawn more than a few surprised looks when she had first walked in. It looked a little odd on top of her shihakusho, but she wore it confidently, like a second skin.

"This is it," she said bluntly. "In a few minutes, we'll be on our way to the soul society. From then on we're on a life-and-death mission, and I expect everyone to do what I say, when I say it, without arguing. Your life may depend on it."

There were no objections, mostly because all of them knew better. Except Yoruichi, of course, the only member present with more experience on the subject matter.

"But before we go," she said, as Urahara started muttering an incantation, preparing the gate, "there is one thing I would ask of you.  
"I mentioned when I was alive, that I lived in a guild. A guild of mages. I do not remember my mother or father, but they, the guild of Fairy Tail, was all the family I could ask for. We didn't always get along, but we were there for each other. We believed in a creed of our own- to trust in one another to be strong, to always help each other when needed, to support each other through thick and thin. To do what's right no matter what, even if it meant breaking the rules. To always do your best and never give up, even if the odds are impossible. That... was what Fairy Tail taught me. That's what this mark," she said, and slid up her right sleeve, revealing the emblem tattooed on her arm, "means to me."  
"Standing here today, jumping into this insane mission, surrounded by brave young people like you, I feel like I have rediscovered the roots of my self. So I am asking you, will you take the same mark as me and come on this mission as Fairy Tail reformed?"

There was a pause of sorts, the people before her seeming unsure what to make of it. It was Tatsuki who at last broke the silence, raising her hand.

"Um. Question?"

"Yes?" Said Erza.

"Are these like... permanent? 'Cause I'm not sure about getting a tattoo. Good speech, though, really inspiring." Tatsuki said.

"Also, is this a thing we can opt out of, or is it a 'choice' again?" Said Ichigo.

"Oh no, no," Erza hastily reassured him, "this is really optional. I just um, thought it might be nice..." she trailed off awkwardly.

"I'll do it." Orihime said cheerily. "Do you have a needle machine with ink and all? Are you secretly like, a tattoo artist as well?" She said the words, sounding as if she'd believe it if Erza had said yes.

"It's just a simple kido." Erza said. "Leaves a mark on the skin, wears off after a few weeks. Nobody _has_ to take it if they don't want to."

"Neat," Orihime said cheerily. "Can I get it anywhere? Like at the end of my back or on my butt?"

"No." Erza said, quite firmly. "More like... try the upper body. Torso. Er, arms are good. Somewhere where it can be seen."

"O-kay!" Orihime said, and extended a hand. "Go ahead then."

Erza put her hand on Orihime's left forearm, muttered some sort of incantation none of them could make out, and soon a red mark had formed on her arm, quite identical to the one on Erza's arm and armour.

"That tickles!" Orihime giggled. "Ooooh, cool..."

"Yeah, what the hell..." Ichigo murmured, and stepped up next. Before too long, another mark had been placed, on his shoulder. Wordlessly, Chad stepped up next, unbuttoning his shirt a little and pointing to a spot up on his chest.

"Well, I guess I'm giving in to peer pressure," Tatsuki said, and shrugged. Before long, all of them, even Yoruichi, had accepted the brand.

"Fairy Tail Reformed." Erza said and nodded approvingly. There was a tremble in her voice, like a joy surging through her very being making itself manifest. "One for all, and all for one."

"You're sorta ripping off Alexandre Dumas, but it works," Ichigo said with a grin.

"If you all are quite finished with your group hugs and little cult tattoos, the gate is finished," Urahara said, his voice cheery despite the jeers. "Express route: Soul society. All aboard."

* * *

The tunnel had been dark, and the appearance of some otherworldly, half-worm half-train sort of  
creature had not helped any of them in the least, but with a bang, the entire group had finally landed in the soul society. Landed, in the literal sense, as they had exited whatever that tunnel was mid-air, and most of them had fallen haplessly to the ground. The quincies, Erza and Yoruichi landed gracefully, the rest less so, Orihime having been caught by her adoptive mother to spare her the indignity of face-planting into the afterlife dirt.

The youths of the group looked around, rather in awe. Coming here was something else for everyone involved, for different reasons. To Erza, it was anticipation made reality, her past coming back to face her at the speed of a locomotive. To Yoruichi it was something similar, albeit less dramatic. To Uryu, it was enemy territory- and a mad rush of power. To Chad, Ichigo, Tatsuki and Orihime, it was an experience ranging from wonder to surprise to stoic acceptance.

"So... this is it, huh?" Ichigo murmured, looking around. They had landed somewhere sunny, and at first glance, Erza's remarks about third-world countries seemed off. You didn't expect developing nations to have luscious, green grass and trees, a brightly shining sun, and a seemingly idyllic landscape. In the distance, there could be seen what looked like a city, but it was otherwise desolate.

"Yes." Erza said flatly.

"So this is 'heaven', eh?" Tatsuki murmured. "Doesn't seem so bad."

"That's because you've spent less than a minute here, and I spent over a century." Erza said, keeping her tone short. "Get yourselves together. We're moving out."

Mostly keeping quiet, the group followed Erza's lead. The afterlife seemed a vast place; the city in the distance, which Erza confirmed was the Gotei Thirteen, was miles away, and there was seemingly no end to the place, one horizon to the other. It was surprisingly solid for an afterlife. Erza had not been wrong about that- although made of spiritual particles, it looked and felt like the world at home.  
Well... mostly. Ichigo, Tatsuki, even Orihime could feel it. Little tingles and twitches, power running through their bodies, resonating with their environment. If they tried, they could _feel_ the world around them. It was like sensing a strong power source, except the power was everywhere, all the time, and it included you. It was disorienting.  
The quincies felt it even more keenly, and Masaki and Uryu both felt the rush, like adrenaline mixed with alcohol, every time they tried drawing on their surroundings. It was like drawing on water from a dam, bursting with power and threatening to break loose at any time.

Erza and Yoruichi, for their part, moved with the ease of experienced veterans. It was an odd thing to do, after so much fateful training and such an action-packed run, but their first part of their journey into the afterlife was a long, arduous walk.

Eventually, though, it came to an end. The Gotei crept into view, ever closer under the steady lope they kept, until it was close enough that they could all see individual buildings. Finally they reached it, standing less than a hundred yards away from it. Erza halted, and the group with her.

"So er," Ichigo said, "do we just... knock on the front door, or what? I know the plan, but... won't they, you know, notice us?"

"That's exactly what we're going to do," Erza said, stepping forward more slowly.

"We're _actually_ going in the front door?" Tatsuki said incredulously.

"I was only kidding!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"No point in hiding." Erza said neutrally. "They'd spot us immediately anyhow. We're not a stealthy bunch."

"We can do it!" Orihime said cheerily. "So we'll just walk up to the gate and-"

Suddenly, she and everyone else became aware of a large, large shadow looming over them, and she turned her head upward.

"...and say hi to mister giant." Orihime said, her mouth making a neat 'O'. "Holy cow!"

She sounded more impressed than frightened, which was surprising nobody at this point.

The giant in front of them, having come from who-knew-where, was at least twenty feet tall, and looked muscular even for his size. He wore a red hat and a shinigami's shihakusho, modified not only to his size, but to expose his left arm and part of his chest.

"Jidanbo." Erza said neutrally. "Let us pass."

"On my honour as guardian of the White Road Gate, I cannot," the giant rumbled. "Who are you to address me so casually? You wear the garb of a shinigami, but..."

"You remember me, Ikkanzaka Jidanbo," Erza said fiercely. "You opened the gates for me many times in my time here."

"Scarlet... Erza Scarlet?" The giant said, sounding quite shocked. "You were convicted of treason, blasphemy and conspiracy to murder and terror acts in your absence!"

"I suppose I was." Erza said, shifting uncomfortably. "You know, then, that you have no hope of defeating me."

"Nevertheless, I cannot let you pass," he rumbled stubbornly. "I would die of shame if I let a traitor past without even putting up a fight."

"Ichigo." Erza said, clenching her fist. "You're up. Defeat him."

"Me?" Ichigo said. "But-"

"Do it." Erza said, and it was clear she was not to be disagreed with.

Sighing, Ichigo stepped up, hoisting the sword from his back. It was in its sealed form, still quite large but noticeably more slender than before, a testament to his growing skill with reiatsu control.

"She sends you instead, boy?" Jidanbo rumbled- it was, in fact, impossible for anything he said not to be at least a little rumbly- with a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.

"Probably trying not to hurt you, big guy," Ichigo said. "Erza, are you sure? He's like... huge."

"Size means nothing." Erza said. "Only energy. Beat him, do it quickly, and then we'll pass."

Ichigo grimaced, and held up his sword. "All right... Jidanbo, was it?"

"Indeed!" The giant said, and produced from his shihakusho a pair of axes, rather small compared to his size, but positively enormous compared to Ichigo. "In the name of the Gotei, I find myself with no choice but to destroy you."  
He raised his axes, and with sudden ferocity rained down blow after blow, with a speed that seemed odd for a creature his size. It seemed clear he was a master with his weapons.

"Ichigo!" Orihime cried out, halfway taking a step forward, but Erza held out an arm.

"Quiet and watch." She said solemnly. "Watch how far he has come."

Eventually the giant stopped, breathing a little heavier.  
"Such is the fate of the enemies of-" He said, and interrupted himself as he looked down. What he had clearly expected to see was a bloody pulp, but instead there was Ichigo, having parried each blow. It had been hard to see with the naked eye, but Erza had felt each movement- smooth, confident, well-practiced.

"Impossible!" Jidanbo cried.

"Don't look like it," Ichigo said. "I'll just finish this one quickly, if you don't mind." He held the sword out, and there was a gust of wind around him as his reiatsu spiked. "Cut the heavens, Zangetsu!"

His energy peaked, and his sword had now transformed. Looking rather like a black, oversized kitchen knife, it appeared mostly to have grown in size a little. Zanpakutou, however, were never to be judged on first glance.  
Ichigo raised his blade, and energy gathered around its base, running up toward the tip rapidly as he brought the sword down.

"GETSUGA TENSHO!" He cried out, and from the blade, a crescent moon-shaped burst of white and blue energy surged, hitting the giant directly. Jidanbo held his axes up to defend, but as the smoke cleared, it seemed obvious it had been futile. The axes had broken, and the giant had suffered a nasty gash in his shoulder.

"Holy crap..." Tatsuki murmured.

"That was awesome!" Orihime cheered. "I mean, it's sad about mister Giant, but that was really awesome!"

"You know the rule, Jidanbo," Erza said quickly. "You must let us pass."

"'Tis but a flesh wound," The giant said stubbornly, managing to stand up, although swaying.

"I could give you another one, you know," Ichigo said. "I tried not to hit you too badly, but I can't guarantee the second one won't hurt you worse. I hope you have like, Nordic levels of health care here, or something."

Jidanbo gave him a look, and seemed to think better of it.  
"As per the ancient laws of the Gotei, you may pass," he rumbled reluctantly. The gate itself opened, its doors swinging open.

"You know, what's the point of a gate if they don't have any walls to begin with?" Ichigo said, as the rest walked forward.

"They're not up at the moment." Erza explained. "Don't question it-"

Suddenly she shoved Ichigo aside, and there was a 'ting' sort of sound, like metal clashing with metal. Ichigo got to his feet, looking angry, but then he saw what the rest of them saw. Standing just behind the gate was a silver-haired man, eyes perpetually closed, smiling the creepiest grin ever seen outside a Batman comic.

"Oh, shit," He said. "That's um... Gin, isn't it?"

"You been sharin' information, haven't ya?" Gin said, his voice a lazy, amused drawl. "Naughty, naughty."

"Ichimaru Gin," Erza snarled, stepping in front of the others. There was a dent in her left pauldron, where the zanpakutou had hit her. "If you try anything, I _will_ find a way to wipe that smirk off your face for good."

"Long time, no see," Gin said, as if greeting a friend he had not seen in ages. The cheer in his voice seemed just slightly off, and it made chills run down their spines. He gave the impression of a snake, just waiting to pounce. "The boss has missed ya. Finally seen reason? Come ta join back with the winnin' side?"

"What do you want?" Erza snapped.

"Me?" Gin said innocently. "Just stoppin' a bunch of criminal ryoka. Doin' my job as a good, decent captain."

"The rest of you, go," Erza said shortly. "There will be troops crawling here within minutes. Go for the objective. I'll keep him here."

"No way!" Ichigo said. "We're not gonna let you-"

"Shut up, kid," Yoruichi said gently. "It's not some dumb sacrifice. We're following the plan. If anyone can take him on here, it's her."

"Yes, listen to the assassin," Gin said happily. "She should know enough about sacrificin' subordinates for the mission."

Yoruichi shot him a glare, but kept her cool, and said, "you heard her. Move!"

The rest of the group, hesitantly at first, moved to the side and forward, while Erza stood facing him down.

"Now, if y'all think I'm just gonna let-" Gin started, but was interrupted as Erza let out a cry, having drawn her sword in an instant, charging at him. He brought up his own short blade just in time to block, looking entirely unperturbed. The rest of the group was making their merry way, and it was him and Erza.

"Did I tell ya the boss has missed ya?" Gin said, sounding pleased with himself. "He act like everything's dandy, but it ain't. Ya made a real impression on him, ya did."

Erza did not reply, simply lashing out in a series of cuts, slashes and thrusts. Gin parried them, effortlessly slipping into combat mode. There were close calls, some less than a millimeter, but nothing seemed to phase him.

"Yanno, if ya care to listen," he said, nimbly dodging under a cut, "the boss had a message for ya."

Erza paused for just a second, and it was enough for his zanpakutou to extend forward at lightning speed, coming just short of hitting her jugular.  
"Now, I warn't lyin'," he assured her, continuing to dodge her attacks, "but me, when I see an opportunity, I go fer it."

"What message?" Erza snarled, despite herself. Gin, she could handle, but Aizen... Aizen was still inside her head.

"Nuffin' complicated," Gin said. "Jus' that he know you're 'ere, he knows wot you're up to, an' it won't work." His sword surged out again, and he put her on the defensive with a set of fast-paced stabbing extensions.

"Won't stop me from trying!" Erza snarled stubbornly. The armour was doing well- it had saved her at least half a dozen minor cuts already.

"That's what makes it fun," Gin said, and the grin on his face seemed infuriating. "Well, for 'im, at least. Me, I'd like to run Shinso down your throat like you're a pig on a spitroast, but I can't. 'E wants to see ya, ya see."

"You could try." Erza said furiously, ignoring whatever he said about Aizen. He was good, just as lethal as she had imagined- but she had come a long way, and as a fighter, he was not somebody she was afraid to face. Fast and lethal, but too concerned with himself and his pleasures.

"I'd do better'n that-" Gin said, but in that moment, Erza grabbed him by the wrist, and slammed her head into his, sending him reeling. To his credit, Gin reacted quickly, twisting himself up into the air and putting both his feet into Erza's face, forcing her to let go. He landed nimbly on the ground as Erza recovered.

"I'll be seein' ya around, lil' Erza." He said. "Maybe I'll get t'skewer one of your friends like a pig instead. Maybe that redheaded lad. Maybe the redhead girl."

"You son of a-" Erza began to snarl, but Gin was stepping back.

"Careful now," he said mockingly. "The Gotei's finest are comin' your way. Ya made quite the commotion, ya see."  
As he turned around and calmly walked away, she could see it was true. Shinigami were swarming the area around the gate, officers and unranked, and there was an alarm bell sounding. Well, they had made their entrance all right...

* * *

It had only taken a few minutes for everything to go entirely haywire. Ichigo could perhaps have passed for a shinigami; he had the robes although his appearance was pretty distinct. The rest of them could not. The fight with Jidanbo had attracted attention, and the appearance of a captain even more so. They had ran as a group for a while, before they had come across a large group of officers demanding they submit for arrest. That did not go over well for said officers, although in the ensuing chaos, they had somehow been split up. Ichigo hadn't even realized until minutes later that he was running alone, except for his mother who had stubbornly stuck to his side.  
There had been a plan. Go through the gates, run in right quick, and grab Rukia before it was too late. Erza and Yoruichi knew the way.

But as a famed Prussian commander had once said, no battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy. Ichigo had become separated from the others, and on top of that, quite lost. The only upside so far was that they had managed to shake their pursuers. Their run stopping in a neatly cleaned alley, Ichigo huffed, and looked around him.  
The Gotei seemed like a maze of streets, alleys and houses. There were little walls everywhere, white and neatly polished, and it was obvious this was a military complex. Gates, walls, barracks, neat and straight lines in the architecture... which was oddly reminiscent of medieval Japan.

"This is crazy, mom..." He murmured, leaning forward, supporting himself with his hands on his thighs.

"We know where we have to go," Masaki said firmly, and Ichigo noticed that much like his aunt, she seemed entirely different here in this hostile territory, calm and to-the-point. "They would move Rukia to that... prison-thing, in the heart of the Gotei."

"Well, where's that, then?" Ichigo murmured. "This place is massive, and we're lost."

"We could go over the roofs," his mother suggested.

"Not exactly low profile," Ichigo muttered. "We kicked the hornet's nest for sure."

It was as apt a metaphor as any. Alarms were going out, and soldiers had been stirring eveywhere. They had seemed pretty weak to Ichigo, despite their military discipline and training. In the proverbial flesh, the Gotei seemed much less mystical and impressive.

"Let's keep going," Masaki said. "We can't stop, anyhow."

"Fair enough," Ichigo said, and nodded. "Let's head inward, then-"

They were interrupted, as two shinigami leisurely strolled into their alley, lacking entirely the urgency that the other soldiers had shown. For a second, Ichigo hoped they would keep going, that they hadn't seen them... they were bantering between themselves, after all.  
No such luck. The leading one, a hard-looking bald man with red markings by his eyes, stopped in his tracks, and pointed at them.

"Toldja, Yumichika!" He cheered, his voice a little shrill, but throaty and hoarse at the same time. "Toldja we're the lucky ones!"

The second one- Yumichika- was a very handsome man, with well-kept hair that spoke to a vain personality, emphasized by a couple of multicolored feathers kept by the brow of his right eye.  
"Yes, yes, Ikkaku, we're lucky," he said in a laid-back tone, that implied he put up with these antics on a regular basis. "Two filthy little Ryoka for us to defeat. Glory will be ours, et cetera and so forth."

"Seein' how uninterested you are, I guess you don't mind if I have a go at the redhead, then?" Ikkaku said. The two of them were casually strolling closer, and Ichigo wasn't sure what exactly to do. He and his mother were both on guard, and he considered their options. Run? Maybe... but these two felt different. Their reiatsu was better controlled, and thrummed with well-kept power. They were likely high-ranking officers, and running away entirely might not be an option.

"You ready to do this?" He muttered to his mother.

"We take them out and move on," she said and nodded, confirming Ichigo's thoughts.

"Ain't you getting ahead of yourselves?" Ikkaku said, and stopped. "Now, redhead-"

"I never said you got to fight him, you greedy bastard," Yumichika cut in. "Why do you get the first pick?"

"Oh, for cryin' out loud..." Ikkaku grunted. "Rock-paper-scissors, best of three?"

"Fair." Yumichika said. Ichigo and Masaki watched, a little baffled, as the two officers engaged in their childish game, managing to draw even three times in a row. The upper crust of the Gotei seemed to have a penchant for the eccentric, judging by what Erza had told him, and these two seemed no exception. Finally, Ikkaku won, and stepped forward with a triumphant grin.

"You. Redhead." He said, pointing at Ichigo. "I'm Madarame Ikkaku, third seat of eleventh division. I'll be the one kicking the shit out of you today."

"That leaves you and I, dear," said Yumichika to Masaki, a few steps to the side. "Let's settle this beautifully, shall we?"

Part of Ichigo wanted to come to his mother's aid no matter what, and he suspected she felt similarly, but this was combat. He had to trust her to handle herself. Confidently he stepped forward, unslinging Zangetsu from his back.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, filthy ryoka," he said firmly. "Here to tell you not to count your chickens before they hatch."

"I like yer attitude, kid," Ikkaku said, pulling his sword out.

He was furious on the charge, using a style as unexpected and original as himself. Spinning around quickly in fast, wide slashes, interspersed with fast cuts here and there, he complemented it with fast, hard strikes from the sheath of his sword. One or two times it hit Ichigo across the head, sending him back.  
But once Ichigo had adjusted, he was more than capable of keeping up. He was fast, strong and furious, and moved with the same kind of experienced ease as Erza... but he was not quite as deadly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Ikkaku cried out, loudly and cheerily, "That's the way, that's the way! Give it all ya got, kid!"  
Eleventh division, Ichigo recalled, was filled with bloodthirsty maniacs who loved fighting more than anything else. The third seat lived up to expectation and then some.  
Ichigo, forced back step by step, just barely kept up. On the defence as he was, he made himself think, forced himself to analyse the situation. Ikkaku's style was quick, fluid, and far less formal than Erza's, and thus less predictable by far. It was centered around speed, and so far had successfully stopped Ichigo from using his own advantages, reach and power. Informal it was, but very, very experienced.

A sharp pain took Ichigo across the face, and he propelled himself back with a quick jump. Warm blood ran down his face, and he realised he had been cut just over his eyebrow. He blinked, the blood running into his eye.

"That's the thing about your face, see," Ikkaku said with a grin, clearly enjoying himself. "Lotsa shallow blood vessels, and it always looks a right mess even if it's a small cut."  
It had been intentional, then. A cut to disadvantage him, not end him.

"Less yammering, more fighting," Ichigo said stubbornly, quickly wiping the blood from his face. More soon came, but there was no time.  
Ikkaku came at him again, but this time, Ichigo anticipated his move set. He went for a wide, hard swing, which Ikkaku easily side-stepped. The following counter-attack was meant to catch Ichigo in the neck, but Ichigo had taken a step back, and bringing his sword up for a block. Batting aside Ikkaku's sword, he caught the man in the chest with a kick, sending him skidding back. Pressing his advantage, Ichigo shot forward, swinging his Zangetsu is a set of quick, hard cuts, forcing Ikkaku to dodge and parry. His flow broken, Ichigo found himself now being the one controlling the pace of the battle.  
_Control the pace, and you win,_ the words of his aunt came to him through memory.

Ikkaku was not a veteran for nothing, though. Dodging under a wide, sweeping cut, he went for one of Ichigo's legs. Ichigo jumped over the cut, but it gave Ikkaku time to slam his sheath upward. There was a ringing in Ichigo's ears as it connected with his jaw, and made him stagger back. He quickly readied his blade to parry, and only just in time. Ikkaku was fiercely cutting at him now, and Ichigo only barely managed to stop him from putting him entirely on the defensive again. The fighting was getting intense, and despite himself, Ichigo found himself enjoying it. A grin crept onto his face, as he did his worst, matching Ikkaku's speed. It took all he had, forced him to give his all, and the adrenaline pumping through his veins made it... indescribable.  
Finally, however, Ikkaku's veteran skills served him better. Catching Ichigo's blade and forcing it down, he slammed his head into Ichigo's. The headbutt made him stagger back, and it was rapidly followed by a hard whack from the sheath, again to the head, and then there was the burning sensation of having been cut. Blood poured from a horizontal flesh wound to the chest, and Ichigo forced himself to not lose balance, to stand upright with his guard intact.

"Son of a bitch..." Ikkaku murmured, sounding surprised, even impressed. "Damned if I don't know that style of fighting..."  
He had paused, and looked almost puzzled for a second. Then, a triumphant grin ran across his face.  
"Yer with Erza Scarlet, aint'cha?"

"What's it to ya?" Ichigo said defiantly.

"Fecking knew it!" Ikkaku exclaimed, almost excitedly. "She taught you all you know, didn't she?"

"How... would you know?"

Ikkaku threw his head back, and laughed. "I was the first one what showed her the ropes after she was outta the academy, boy!" There was a wistful look on his face, as if reminiscing about better times. "She was a fury back then. Real good with a blade, but not really used to bein' a shinigami... took her ages to learn how to beat me, but she did it. Those were the days!"

"Uh... huh." Ichigo said, a bit surprised.

"So she's back, huh?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Word of advice, kid," Ikkaku said, letting out a chuckle, "never play poker. Yer shit at lyin'. Oh man, the captain's gonna have a field day with that..."

"She'll kick his ass." Ichigo shot back.

"He'd still have a good time." Ikkaku said dismissively. His eyes narrowed, and the cheer dropped from his face. "But now that I know you is one of hers... I gotta take ya seriously."  
He put the hilt of his sword and the sheath together, and cried, "Grow, Hozukimaru!"

There was a surge of power, and the weapon changed, growing into a slender spear with a long, simple blade.

"Fair enough," said Ichigo, and held his sword out. "Cut the heavens, Zangetsu!" He felt the rush as his weapon changed and grew, changing into its larger, knife-like form.

"Good." Ikkaku said. Immediately he charged forward, rapidly stabbing with his spear. Ichigo knew he would try to get up close, to negate the reach of his greatsword, and skipped back a couple of steps in anticipation, swinging as the third seat came at him. The thrusting motions were fast, faster than before, but Ichigo managed to keep up. Not to have gone all out for nothing, Ikkaku still scored several hits, mostly glancing off the sides, but one or two stabbing into Ichigo's chest.  
_Winning isn't about the will to win,_ his sensei's voice came to him. _You have to have will, but at the end of the day, it comes down to whether you can hit faster or harder than your opponent. If you can read his strategy or not. If you can best him or not. Never fight mindlessly_

Ikkaku's fighting style was like himself- fast, lean, wild and vicious. So how would he beat him? He was clearly experienced fighting against a two-handed sword, constantly keeping up close, refusing to let him get in the powerful strikes that would turn the tides in Ichigo's favour.  
He was a veteran. Ichigo was not. On the other hand, he was not fierce the way Erza was. He lacked the hard discipline and genial intuition. He could do this.

Taking a few hops back, Ichigo recovered, and charged energy into the length of his blade. Swinging it sideways, he cried,  
"GETSUGA TENSHO!"

The moon-shaped blast was not powerful, but it didn't need to be. As Ikkaku launched himself into the air, Ichigo was there, cutting hard and fast as Ikkaku came down. Not taken by surprise, Ikkaku lashed out with his spear, catching Zangetsu by the blade, and twisted himself in the air, landing by Ichigo's side. A millisecond later, there was a potentially fatal thrust aimed for Ichigo's head, but Ichigo side-stepped, and kicked Ikkaku in the midsection. For just a second, the veteran grunted and staggered back, and Ichigo saw his opportunity, and cut downwards, hard.  
Even taken aback, Ikkaku was fast enough to try and deflect. Although awkwardly, Ichigo's blade glanced off to the side, raking Ikkaku across the shoulder as it did.

Pushing his advantage, Ichigo lashed out with one heavy blow after another, nimbly stepping out of the way of a low-thrusting counter-attack. Ikkaku was on the defensive now, dodging and parrying expertly, but finding no openings to attack himself. Finally he locked his spear with Ichigo's blade, the two men pushing against each other, muscles bulging.

"Yer... pretty good... kid..." Ikkaku said, grinning even now.

"You ain't seen nothing yet." Ichigo grunted back, just as stubbornly.

"Ya think?" Ikkaku said. Suddenly he twisted his spear, and there was a hot flash of pain. Something had cut Ichigo across the cheek, and he staggered back.

"Ya see," Ikkaku said, and Ichigo could make out his figure, confidently standing with his spear split in three pieces, held together with chain, "my Hozukimaru ain't really a spear."

Ichigo put a hand to his face. There was a nasty cut to his cheek, which had raked across bone and flesh alike, and he felt a ringing in his skull for what felt like the umpteenth time today.

"Don't you go and disappoint me now, boy," Ikkaku said, circling around him, clearly looking for an opportunity to pounce. "Don't you go and get my blood boiling without giving me a good fight. Yer Erza Scarlet's student. Do 'er proud."

Ichigo had stood on the edge of having his fighting spirit waver, the blow to his head making him stagger, but now something in him burst. A jolt of anger, passion, a desire to defeat the man in front of him and show him just what happened when you fucked with Erza's students...

"I told ya... _you ain't seen nothing yet!_" Ichigo snarled. Power surged through his body, and the pain felt odd, distant.

"GETSUGA TENSHO!"  
Roaring out his defiance, Ichigo sent out one, two of the moon-shaped projectiles, and charged. Ikkaku smoothly dodged out of the way of both, but was taken by surprise by the sheer ferocity of the young man's attack. Cutting hard, almost losing himself with the furor of combat, he drove Ikkaku back. With the reflexes and strength of a senior fighter, Ikkaku did his best to counter, but Ichigo dodged them with relative ease. He was overpowering him, he realized, the odd physics of the afterlife working in his favour. As the seconds went on, Ichigo realized this surge of power would not last- he needed to do some damage before it burned out. Ikkaku, despite his surprise, had held up well, and aside from a few minor cuts was still at full fighting power.  
Quickly Ichigo lashed out with a wide blow, only for it to turn into a stab at the last second. Ikkaku had hopped back to dodge, but was not prepared for the thrusting attack. Ichigo could feel Zangetsu taste blood, and quickly brought his sword back and up. Ikkaku was reeling, trying to bring his spear about, but it was too late. With a vicious cut, Ichigo's sword came down, ripping into Ikkaku's body from shoulder to hip.

Ikkaku still held on to his weapon, despite sinking to one knee, seeming unwilling to give up even after a grievous wound like that. For good measure, Ichigo slammed the pommel into his head, and Ikkaku slumped over, lying defeated in the ground.

Ichigo took a few seconds to breath, and the surge of power began to wear off, leaving with it a weariness- and acute awareness that he was bleeding in multiple places. Shinigami could take a lot, he knew, and as far as he knew they weren't in danger of infections, but being cut still hurt- quite a bit, actually.

"That..." Ikkaku said, his voice raspy and weakened, "was somethin' else. Fuck me, kid, you done good."

Ichigo almost felt incredulous. It was one thing to enjoy battle, but to... compliment your opponent, even after taking that kind of damage?

"The hell are you smiling about?" Ichigo muttered. "I just cut you down." He swatted the blood off Zangetsu, and let the blade shrink back to its sealed form.

"Me, I'm just thinkin' of all the fun our captain will have," Ikkaku said. "Fffffuck, that stings..."

"...you're crazy." Ichigo muttered. "Whatever. Uhm. Seeya around, I guess." Hurrying as best he could, he headed for his mother, to see if she needed any help.

* * *

Masaki forced herself to remain calm. It came easier to her than perhaps it should, the effect of her training kicking in. This had been one thing she had always hated- what the mentality of a soldier did to people.  
The first thing she had done was to put some distance between herself, Ichigo, and his opponent, not just to give him elbow space but because as a quincy, her ranged fighting style demanded space to move in. Her opponent had kept up quite well, her hirenkyaku matched by his shunpo. He stood a few yards away, hand on his sword, staring her down. He was handsome, all right, but Masaki could read his signature clear as day, and it was plain to see that he was powerful and deadly in his own right.

"You're beautiful." He said. The compliment came out of nowhere, sounding oddly neutral. "Do not mistake that for some crude advance or flirtation. Beauty in any form is a worthwhile thing, whether I see it in a vase, a painting, or the face of an enemy." He shrugged, and sighed. "It really is a shame, having to fight you."

"That... is an odd approach," Masaki said, not feeling especially eager to begin. "Is it my curves, or.."

"I told you, it's not crude," the man- Yumichika, Masaki remembered- said, his tone a little effeminate. "It's the symmetry. Your face could be on a statue."

"...thanks." Masaki said. "You know, your hair is very nice. Do you use some particular conditioner?"

It was a long shot, but it hit home.  
"Oh, this old thing?" Yumichika said, twirling his hair with one hand. "Nothing special. Just a little bit of Alvglade shampoo, followed by Papaver conditioner, which is allowed to soak for exactly two minutes."

"Oh, that _does_ explain it," Masaki said cheerily. "Do you use a hair dryer? Because personally, I feel that overusing them can produce decent results early on, but wear out your hair in the long term. Those split ends..."

Yumichika practically gasped. "I _know,_ right? I keep telling the beauty salons, but do they listen? Stubborn as a mule, each one of them!"

"In the end you're better off doing it yourself, right?" Masaki said. "Anyone can do it if they just make an effort to learn. And who knows your hair better? You, or some hopped-up hair stylist?"

"_Totally!"_ Yumichika said excitably. "Oh crap. Erm. I'm supposed to be fighting you." He said the words as if it had just occurred to him.

"Don't worry, I won't tell," Masaki said charitably. "It'll be a secret just between us girls."

"This isn't some clever trick, is it?" Yumichika said suspiciously.

"I haven't got a deceptive bone in my body," Masaki said, and it was mostly true. She hadn't _tried_ to stall out for this long, but it had allowed her to get a pretty good read of her opponent. Strong enough to be a real danger. Not so strong she couldn't end it quickly if she got lucky.

Yumichika sighed, and pulled out his sword.  
"For the record," he said, "this is officially a shame. Bloom, Fuji Kujaku!"

The blade split into four sickle-shaped blades, looking like a vicious clawed hand. It didn't look especially practical, but Masaki knew better than to underestimate him. In one furious shunpo step, he surged forward, aiming for her midsection-

-then suddenly he staggered forward, blood seeping from his waistline.

"What... the hell...?" He muttered.

Masaki stood behind him, her bow dissolving.  
"A precision shot," she said. "Think of it like deflating a balloon."

"I won't be..." Yumichika said, attempting to turn around and raise his sword, but fell flat on his face in the process.  
"What the hell..." he murmured, seeming puzzled more than anything.

"I shot you at a very specific point in your reiatsu network," Masaki explained, and kneeled by his side. "It won't kill you, but you won't be able to really do anything more than life-sustaining functions for the next day or so. Sorry."

"Sonofabitch..." Yumichika muttered, and closed his eyes.

Well. That had been easier than she had expected. But then again, the hard part was still ahead.

Quickly, she raced to find Ichigo. He would only be a couple of blocks away; she could still sense him quite clearly.

* * *

Running had gotten old after a while. Tatsuki and Orihime had become separated from the others somewhere down the line, and what had started as fleeing in terror- that captain _had_ seemed pretty fearsome- had eventually turned into fleeing in annoyance. It wasn't that they couldn't outrun most of their pursuers, although the two of them being human and as such having no access to high-speed travel didn't help, but it seemed that the moment they made progress, they ran into another nest of shinigami, swarming like big, black angry wasps. Wasps with swords, and military training. And magic. Tatsuki had lost track of the number of times they had dodged a brightly colored bolt of energy soaring past them, often too close for comfort.

In the end, they had both of them decided to stand and fight, making their stand in a narrow alley, negating the overwhelming numbers of their pursuers. The results had been gratifying. Tatsuki had unleashed every ounce of frustration in a furious flurry of kicks, punches and stave whacks, while Orihime had used her own magics to repel and knock over attacker after attacker, expertly dealing them just as much damage as she needed to. Now they stood over dozens of shinigami, passed out on the ground or groaning in pain.  
It was tactically sound to force them to engage in a choke point, but Tatsuki found herself wondering if it had been necessary in the end. She was... _strong._ So was Orihime. So far her only two frames of reference had been Yoruichi and Erza (and, she suspected, Urahara Kisuke), but next to them, these rank-and-file troopers were... nothing. They fought with a basic level of competence, and their strength was in itself not even a tenth of her own. They had both found themselves doing incredible, unbelievable things, like sending people flying through the air, or into the side of a building so hard that there were cracks in the wall...

"Well... hot damn," Tatsuki said, breathing heavily. She had expended a lot of energy, and felt a little weak now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off. They had not been quiet, but hopefully the attention they had attracted would have taken a load off the others. They hoped so at least; otherwise they'd have fought very hard only to accomplish nothing more than getting lost.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Orihime said, considerably less worn down. Her style of fighting had been much more energy efficient- and, Tatsuki noted with a sting of jealousy, much more effective overall. "They were like, 'you're under arrest', and we were like, 'come and get it', and them wham! Pow! Boff!" Emphatically, she made gestures with her arms, her ethereal staff gleaming with power.  
The actual deal had been nothing like that, of course, but Tatsuki was not about to correct her. They had both enjoyed flexing their muscles a bit, although in different ways, it seemed.

"So where next?" Tatsuki muttered, and realized that if anyone was going to come up with a plan, it would likely have to be herself. "To that prison thingy?"

"Oh yes!" Orihime chirped. "Which is in the middle, I think. Which direction is the middle?"

As expected.  
"We should get up roofside-" Tatsuki started, but then they both felt it, and dashed away, out of the alleyway. Behind them, there was a metallic whir, and Tatsuki felt a couple of nasty stings in her back. The two of them spun around, ready to face whatever it was. They stood out in the street now, surrounded by what looked like walled-in barracks, and they saw it clearly now: a series of long, metallic projectiles hurtling through the air.

"That was _not_ very nice," Orihime said firmly, and held up her staff. "Santen Kesshun!"

The triangular shield formed in front of them, holding firm against the projectiles, which bounced off and returned from whence they had came. They were little blades, they could see, spinning rapidly through the air. Tatsuki looked up. At the top of a roof stood an imposing figure, tall and burly. The spinning blades returned to him, forming a zanpakutou. Jumping down, landing heavily, he stood in front of them, a cock-sure expression on his face. He was heavy-set, almost chubby, and they could both sense power radiating from him.

"Congratulations," he said calmly, his voice deep. "You survived my first attack."

"Stabbing us in the back after we knocked over your pals, coward!" Tatsuki sneered.

"You invade our home, and expect to be treated with courtesy?" The man said, sounding almost amused. "You are _ryoka_. To be captured would be merciful. You will die here. So say I, Ikkanzaka Jirobo, fourth seat of division seven."

Tatsuki grit her teeth, and took a stance. "Let's-"

"Take it easy, Tatsuki," Orihime said calmly. "I'll deal with him."

"Bullshit!" Tatsuki snapped. "I'm not gonna let you-"

"You're tired." Orihime said flatly. "I'm not. Don't start a fight you're not fit to win."

The sheer bluntness of Orihime's voice was shocking. "But-" Tatsuki started.

"Tatsuki," Orihime said kindly, "I can handle it. If I need help, I'll call you. For now, just keep an eye out."

Tatsuki grit her teeth, then relented. If it had been Ichigo, she wasn't so sure she wouldn't have insisted, but for Orihime...  
Well, she could do it. She was different now. Strong.

"I am Inoue Orihime," Orihime said, and stepped forward. "I don't have a seat, but it'll have to work anyway."

Jirobo grinned, and held up his sword. "You'll regret taking me on by your lonesome. Flap away, Tsunzakigarasu!"  
At once the blade of his sword disappeared, replaced by a seemingly limitless amount of spinning blades, each one no longer than two knives put together. They surged away, going at Orihime with speed. She was already moving, running at the tall man. It looked like madness, a small girl like her attacking a giant like him, but the afterlife made all normal notions of size a deception.

"Santen Kesshun!" Orihime cried, raising her staff. The shield erected itself to her left, warding off three hits, before manifesting to her right a second later. She dodged under yet another one coming in from behind, casually performing a forward flip, her stride unbroken.  
Although like Tatsuki she was not capable of rapid movement techniques like shunpo, the nature of the soul society benefited her, too, and she moved with an instinctive understanding of the world, quickly closing ranks. Jirobo muttered a curse, and quickly hopped back.

"You stupid little girl!" He snarled, sending the knife-blades back Orihime's way, but her shield manifested at her back, and the rest missed, going wide.

"Koten Zanshun!" Orihime cried, bringing the tip of her staff down. It gleamed read, and impacted squarely with Jirobo's chest, sending the man reeling. He grunted with pain, and put space between himself and Orihime, the blades whirring around him.

"You're _human_?" He said incredulously.

"Yes." Orihime said firmly. "You shouldn't have underestimated me. It's pretty simple, actually. Whenever I see Ishida or Masaki fire their bows, they always try and put space between themselves and their target if there isn't any already. Since you attack from afar, I figured getting up close and personal was best."

Tatsuki blinked. It was easy to forget, even for her, that beneath that bubbly surface, Orihime had a functioning brain, which could be sharp as a razor if it had to. The idea itself was hardly revolutionary, but to have kept her cool in the middle of a surprise attack and think of that... she had come a long way.

"You have some nerve, speaking as if it was already over," Jirobo sneered. "Forward!" He moved his hand, pointing at Orihime, and the blades surged. Her shield caught the first few easily, the metal bounding off with slight clangs, but then they came in from all directions, bounding out in wide arcs. It had to be a dozen, each one coming at her from every which angle...

"Now who's underestimating who, huh?" The giant cried, with gleeful cheer.

"Orihime!" Tatsuki cried, going into a run, knowing she would be too late. Her heart skipped a beat-

-and then the blades all impacted at once, and there was a set of clang-clang-clangs as they all reflected away, the sheer force burying them into the stone walls. A round shield had erected around Orihime, dissipating seconds later. Confidently, she took a step forward, and held the staff under his chin.

"I'm still not very good at doing that," she said, "but I'm not defenceless. Please surrender. I don't want to hurt you."

"I-I-I-I," the giant said, holding his hands up, "o-of course! I surrender!"

Orihime gave him a knowing look, narrowed her eyes, and took a step back. "All right then."

She took another step back, still keeping an eye on her foe. "Tatsuki, let's-"

"You little idiot!" Jirobo sneered, raising the hilt of his sword again. "I'll kill you for that, but you get to see your friend die first!" The blades whirred out with speed, surging toward Tatsuki. Grunting with surprise, she readied her guard, and...

"_Koten Zanshun, I reject!_" Tatsuki couldn't remember ever hearing Orihime's voice that fierce, and there was a surge of energy as a red projectile flew from her staff, instantaneously slamming into the shinigami. The blades dropped to the ground, and Jirobo staggered back and hit a wall, hard, sinking down into a sitting position. Blood had sprayed across the wall behind him, and there was a hole in his shoulder, large enough that Tatsuki was sure she could see the wall behind him through it. His zanpakutou had sealed, and he looked at the two of them with dull, shocked eyes.  
Tatsuki hurried to Orihime's side.

"I told you I didn't want to hurt you!" She said, her voice in between furious and plain upset. There were tears at the edge of her eyes. "Why did you go ahead and make it so I didn't have a choice?!"

"Orihime, it's fine," Tatsuki said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. I'm fine. I'm okay."

Orihime sniffed, and took a deep breath. The bulky shinigami was unresponsive, still alive, although there was no telling if that would last.

"I didn't want to," Orihime said. "I didn't want to do it."

"You had to!" Tatsuki said. "It's not your fault, it's _his_ fault, and..." There were familiar noises in the distance now, soldiers running and shouting.  
"Oh crap," Tatsuki muttered. "Come on, let's move!"

Orihime nodded, keeping herself from crying. This was fighting. Hard, heart-rending and necessary. Together, the two of them ran again, deeper into the Gotei Thirteen.

* * *

In his office, Aizen smiled. He had sat still all morning, drinking in the sensations of the chaos at the gates. Nine signatures, most of them weak and unfamiliar, but three of them familiar and strong. Kurosaki Ichigo, his little pet project. Shihoin Yoruichi, the former stealth corps commander, spymaster and head assassin, easily the deadliest of the group. Although few of them, if any, likely realized it. Erza Scarlet, her reiatsu rich, thick, stronger and better controlled than every before.  
It had been quite the effort at this range, even for a savant like himself, to read it accurately, but he had done it still.

It was a sensation quite indescribable to feel everything move in the palm of his hand, exactly the way he had wanted it to. He had kept an eye on Karakura, naturally, and had at least cursory knowledge of Erza's group and her allies. It was such a desperate, foolish attempt, charging right into the hornet's nest- all to save one person, quite logically beyond saving. This was Urahara Kisuke's gambit, and no mistake, but it was also exactly the sort of thing _she_ would do.  
He had missed her. It was an odd, but undeniable realization, having come to him the moment he could feel her reiatsu again, grown yet familiar. In all his time, she was the only one who, like him, had seen through that accursed Veil, and wanted to act on it. He had plenty of allies, of course, but... his hollows, prospective arrancar, were little more than animals. Tools, a means to an end, entirely disposable. Ichimaru was a psychopathic sadist, in his own way little different from a hollow himself. Kaname made claims to be different, but Aizen knew he was blinded by ideology, and a hypocrite to boot. Out of all the allies he had ever had... she had stood out.  
There was a thoughtful expression on his face as his eyebrows narrowed a little. Perhaps he could bring her back into the fold? She would likely never side with the likes of Ichimaru... but then again, he was starting to lose his appeal. Maybe...

They wanted the same thing, after all. A just, orderly and peaceful world, where equality, mercy and intelligence was valued higher than unthinking adherence to tradition, authority. A world where there would be... a heaven. An afterlife worth living in. Where the common soul would not live in fear of warlords or hollows.

They both wanted that. Surely she could be made to see reason? He _had_cast her out, but it had been over twenty years, and she had prospered. She even had a bankai by now.  
Aizen was not prone to dalliances, romantic or more physical. The interest had never been there, and the fixation on it by his lessers had always seemed absurd, like yet another shackle that tied them to the Veil. But if he had been that sort of man... if he had been the kind of king who would take a queen, she would have been a neat fit.

He would speak with her. Watch her progress, see how much she had grown. Confront her. He would make her see the light again. _His_ light. The only path the Soul Society would have in the future.  
And if she still refused him... it would be her loss. Perhaps he'd kill her. Perhaps he'd let her watch his world grow. Yes... she would be allowed to see his world as it grew, as he accomplished all the things she could not.

Smiling to himself, Aizen stood up. There would be summons coming any moment now; he could sense Hinamori just around the corner. Old Yamamoto would respond to the invasion, naturally, by calling a meeting. It wasn't just comical, it was outright laughable.  
Part of him couldn't wait to get this over with, to step out into the light and let everyone see him for who he was. Part of him, a surprisingly large one at that, was actually enjoying this.

* * *

The meeting hall loomed over the captains, oppressively grand and ancient, designed specifically to remind everyone just how incredibly important it was, how grandiose and magnificent whatever came to pass inside it should be.  
As per usual, despite the summons having been sent across all the Gotei, a number of captains were absent. Kurotsuchi Mayuri had flat out ignored it, while Ukitake Jushiro was, once more, in bed with tuberculosis. Unohana Retsu had excused herself, citing an influx of injured soldiers, which was certainly not untrue. The remaining captains were present, though, waiting for the Captain-Commander to speak. Not a single one of them were ignorant of why the meeting had been called, because word traveled fast in the Gotei, and the commotion had been felt by all even from afar, but protocol demanded a meeting be held by the senior officers.

"Approximately two hours ago," Yamamoto said, finally speaking up, his ancient voice rumbling across the hall, "our gates were breached by a group of _ryoka_. They are still at large, heading inward. Their objectives are as of yet unknown. However, their identities are not unknown- or not all of them. Third captain, you were present, were you not?"

"Oh, lil' ol' me?" Ichimaru said, as if surprised. "Sure I was, sir. Jus' happened t' be passing by the gates, and what do I see if not-"

"Report the facts." Yamamoto said. His voice was calm, but there was no mistaking his intention- he had no interest in listening to Ichimaru's antics.

Ichimaru shrugged. "Nine of 'em, I reckon. Yeah, nine. Pretty strong, too. But that one's obvious, ain't it? They been pummelin' our top officers like it's nothin', haven't they?" He grinned, and looked at his fellow captains, the jeer unmistakable.

"The facts." Yamamoto said. "Confirm, in person, what you claimed earlier."

Ichimaru sighed, and shrugged. "Well, there I was, takin' on the ryoka, and who's leadin' them, if not Erza Scarlet? She got real strong, too- managed to fight me t' a draw, she did."

The captains kept stoic, for the most part, but there were reactions- winces, a narrowing of the brows, a sharp breath in.

"The traitor returns!" Komamura snarled, his voice deep. The man was deeply loyal to the Gotei, and took renegades quite seriously, none less than her. She had been at the heart of a massive conspiracy, evidence had shown, planning to spread ruin and terror all across the Gotei. Her escape had been the biggest ruckus there had been for decades, second squad having spearheaded investigation after investigation to find possible collaborators.

"Am I correct in assuming that among the ryoka are a red-headed, impetuous young man and a bespectacled, black-haired quincy?" Kuchiki Byakuya said, his voice level. "I would find it almost unbelievable, but..."

"Naw, how'd ya guess all that?" Ichimaru said. "See, that was them, all right."

A look of contempt passed the Kuchiki's face. "It matches the description of an abnormally strong substitute shinigami and a quincy we found in the living world when we retrieved... a criminal recently. If they had been trained by a dangerous and powerful traitor, it would explain it."

"My operatives confirm this much," Soifon said, raising her voice. She had informants planted across the Gotei, and today, her seemingly paranoid plans had paid off. "Our information network puts them at nine, at least two of which are quincy, along with several other empowered humans. It would seem the traitor left only to recruit new soldiers for her cause. Whatever her plan is, it seems she intends ruin for us all."

"Our worst fears may be realized," Yamamoto said gravely. "The moment this meeting concludes, I expect you to personally hunt her and her compatriots down. Spare no resources. So I order."

"Heh, I call dibs," said Kenpachi, who had looked bored for the most part up till now. "Not like the lot of you could expect to take her down easily."

"We will not give special privileges to another division if we should find her first," Byakuya said stiffly. "This is law and order, not your personal playground."

"Ya wanna tell that to my face outside here, punk?" Kenpachi said lazily, eyeing Byakuya with a grin on his face.

"Kids, kids, don't fight now," came the cheery voice of the affable Kyoraku Shunsui. "There will be plenty of criminals for everyone, I'm sure."

"Silence." Yamamoto said, and his voice carried enough weight to quiet the quarrelling captains. "Ichimaru."

"Sir?" The third captain said.

"You fought her. Yet here you stand, unbloodied, and she is still at large. Explain yourself."

"Oh, ya see," Ichimaru said, and shrugged, "I ain't good at holdin' back. If it was me, she'd end up dead, or me dead tryin', and all them poor soldiers mighta got caught up in it. That just wouldn't be fair, would it?"  
The logic was sound enough, although none quite believed him, but Yamamoto seemed placated, nodding.

"I expect them all captured come the morning," he said firmly. "Spare no resources. I want everyone involved. If you need to kill them, then so be it, but I want the arch-traitor taken alive."

"On my soul, it will be done, captain-commander!" Komamura said emphatically, and Byakuya nodded his approval. Shunsui sighed. This was going to be a bother and a half...

* * *

**Its only the first chapter of the arc, but as you can see, we've already made quite a few changes. Id like to go over them with you if you don't mind.**

**First off, Erza recreating Fairy Tail. This is something I've always wanted. Erza always has and always will consider the guild her family. Orihime is her adopted daughter, and Ichigo is more or less a son to her. The others may not mean as much to her, but she's come to care for her much the same way Makarov would for his own guild. Family/Guild is a HUGE part of what makes fairy tail the series it is. I wouldn't dream of leaving it out. More or less, think of Erza using this as a way of her saying "I fully acknowledge you as warriors"**

**2nd off, The Getsuga Tensho. To keep things from being the exact same, i figured i would spice things up by giving him this early on. With Erza's help, this progression feels right to me. Also, for those of you wondering, Ichigo's sealed sword is more or less how it was in chapter one...not the oversize flat blade it turned into by the end of the substitute arc. It just felt wrong to give him a regular katana. The larger size works, far as I'm concerned. Not to mention we've seen soul reapers that have sealed swords that are different than the norm, and Ichigo is NOT normal.**

**3rd, Orihime's new strength. As you can see, Orihime is now more than capable than handling herself now. The character that almost killed her in cannon and required Uryu to save her is now not much of a challenge for her. She's not reaching captian level anytime soon mind you (if ever) but I'm very happy i gave her this much.**

**Also, don't worry, Erza will be having her own fair share of battles, dont any of you worry. We just felt the chapter was long enough as it is, and really didn't need an extra fight scene in it. She'll have MORE than enough time to shine. Same goes for Uryu, Masaki, and even Chad to an extent. **

**With that all done, please do tell us what you think of the arc thus far. Do you like the changes we've done? Any fights in particular you want to see (we already have them planed, but we DO want to know what you guys would like as well.) any concerns for the arc? Please, let us know in your reviews.**

**I seriously cant thank all of you enough for the support. You all ROCK!**


	38. The Struggle Begins

**Two years. Its been exactly two years that we have uploaded the very first chapter to this story. Its been a long journey to get here, and I once again, have to thank each and every single one of you who has left a review, encouraging thoughts, and helping us push forward. I never imagined that we would actually be here, 38 chapters, over 300,000 words, and over 600 reviews with only ONE chapter of the soul soceity arc. Its such an incredible accomplishment. This is ALL thanks to you readers. ALL thanks to the reviews youve left. I literally cant say enough to thank you. There are no words in the English dictionary that could possibly express all of the thanks I want to give you all. **

**This has been a journey that ive enjoyed so much, and one that im glad to know that so many other people enjoyed as well. In the two years that we wrote this, I NEVER imagined the story would have done as well as it has. It was IMPOSSIBLE as far as i was concerned.**

**But you all made that happened. We're doing this well, we're on TV tropes, thanks to YOU. The readers. **

**I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.**

**However, before we go right into the chapter itself...i have some words from the writer. Greatkingrat88.**

**"Two years. Two years already? Time sure does fly, doesn't it? When I started writing, I was only vaguely aware we'd do the soul society arc. It was a distant goal- and now here we are, kicking off what is unambiguously the best arc bleach ever had, and doing a pretty decent job of it, if I say so myself. I myself am more invested than ever; I look forward to writing every new chapter and I enjoy coming up with new ideas for it. More than anything, I love reading the reviews it gets, and I appreciate the fuck out of any criticisms too- it's the best way to improve as a writer. Would you believe we've climbed up to almost 17 reviews average per chapter? That's amazing- I remember when we started out, and got one or two at most. This last one got over twenty!**

**With that in mind, I thought I'd do a couple of shoutouts to a few reviewers who I feel have done an outstanding job. To jcampbellohten, for taking the time to pedantically correct every little mistake I make- seriously, thanks- and to kishinokurobi for his in-depth reviews, and to NoNameAvailableBis, whose reviews I find insightful and thought-through. And naturally, a huge thanks to everyone else here who finds it in their heart to review our humble little crossover. All the best, and look forward to more fights, more plot twists, and more changes to the canon story (while remaining true to the spirit of the original). Cheers!"**

**-Greatkingrat88**

**With all our thanks out of the way, lets celebrate this two year aniverery...with this chapter. Enjoy.**

**Special**** thanks once again to GreatKingRat88**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

Hinamori Momo was, somehow, holding things together. With her captain summoned to a meeting- no doubt to be appraised of the facts of the current chaos- she was the one in charge of the division, which meant telling a lot of confused people what to do, when she herself wasn't sure what was going on.  
It all came back to one simple lesson: when you're in charge, act like you know what you're doing, even if you don't. It was to this end that she had every officer ranked higher than fifteen on a steady patrol route across all areas covered by division five, and all below running drills, overseen by their instructors. It wasn't doing very much, but it kept her soldiers busy, which was the main point.

What exactly _was_ going on, she had no clue. There were Ryoka, that much was clear, although everything else was muddled through the grapevine. She had heard some insist with clarity that it was a full-scale invasion, having broken through the main gates and slain captain Ichimaru. Others thought it was an uprising from the Rukongai. Some would say it was a handful, less than five, doing some mad dash inside. Knowing better than to trust the word of mouth from frightened soldiers with no experience when it came to being invaded, Momo sharply ignored all rumours and kept herself, and everyone else, busy. When captain Aizen came back, they'd know what he knew. For now, they would keep to themselves. Information had come in sporadically from other divisions, reporting a great number of officers having been hospitalized. This meant that the ryoka, however many or few, were at least powerful.

Quietly, to herself, she was excited at the prospect of using her much-trained magic. Aside from the odd hollow hunt, there had been precious little chance of using her advanced kido, and a bunch of ryoka would make for good battlefield application. Her place, however, was with the division. They relied on her, and she would be there for them. It's what Erza would have done.  
Erza... the thought writhed inside her mind like a snake, twisting and turning. What if it was her? The mere thought have her butterflies in her stomach.  
No. Focus. Be rational. No assumptions, no anything without evidence or information from a reliable source. When times were chaotic, you had to be a beacon of order, because that's what people expected of a leader. Aizen had entrusted her with command, and she would not let him down.

* * *

"Will master require anything else?"

The ageing servant was bowed deeply as he addressed Byakuya, who was sat cross-legged in his office. Away from the division, in the villa of the noble house of the Kuchiki, he had gone to collect his thoughts.

"No. Begone." He said simply, and the servant bowed again, quietly making his exit, closing the door behind him.

Closing his eyes, Byakuya forced himself to calm, to make his insides match his outsides. He felt ashamed; he should be out there, right now, helping with the hunt for the Ryoka. He had left it in Renji's capable hands, for the time being, but right now... right now, he could not force himself to do his duty. It shamed him, but he could not bring himself to care enough. Not until he had had the time to calm, at least.  
Even here, in his personal sanctuary, he found it difficult. He had always taken solace in this place, a simply furnished, practical office in his clan's mansion, in stark contrast to the luxury and wealth apparent everywhere else. It was an extension of his workplace at the division, practically speaking, but Byakuya thought of this more as his room than his actual room. Neatly arranged, cleaned only by veteran servants who knew exactly what to touch and not to touch, nothing was ever out of place. It was a place of order, to collect himself and reflect on the day. In the past, he had always come here to still the stormy seas, whenever his moods were out of place. It was rare, of course, for him to lose control, but he was not nearly as stoic as everyone believed him to be. His quiet aura of confidence was the product of hard work, not a natural affinity.  
Yet today, as it had for several days now, it did little for him.

Rukia's imprisonment had troubled him. Even so, he had had faith that she would receive an appropriate punishment, return to service, and redeem herself with time.

Then, four days ago, it had happened.

_Rukia sat still in her cell, a sombre look on her face. As Byakuya entered, he admired her temper. She was rather like him, in many ways, although she would never have guessed it. Impulsive, yet with a desire to serve. Passionate, yet even now maintaining a calm face, as was appropriate for a member of their esteemed house. Yes, she was like him enough that she could have been his flesh and blood. As dispassionate as his face was, his heart sang out with a mixture of concern- brotherly pride, admiration, concern, regret..._

_She said nothing as he stopped by her cell, her head slightly bowed, waiting for her clan leader to address her. Even in her white, shabby prison robes, her bearing was noble._

_"Rukia." He said simply, forcibly keeping every ounce of emotion from his voice. "The judgement of the Central Forty-Six has been passed. It is irreversible." For the slightest moment, he paused, taking a short breath. It was irreversible. Nothing he did could change it. The least he could do was tell her the news himself. So why did that have to be such a difficult thing?_  
_"Seven days from now, you are to be executed for your crimes as Sokyoku Hill, by the Sokyoku itself. Your very being shall be burnt from existence, and your sins purged. That is all."_

_He saw the shock in her eyes, rippling across her face. Disbelief. Facing the reality of the fact, letting it sink in. No tears, Byakuya noticed, just shock. She composed herself well._  
_In a way, it would have been better if she had cried, if she had cursed his name for such callousness. It would have made it that much easier._

_"I... understand, elder brother," she said quietly, her voice just barely composed._

_"I will see you then," he said, and turned around, walking out._

There were so many things he wanted to tell her. How unfair it was. How he would fight for her. How proud he was of her, that he loved her. The truth of why she had been taken into the clan in the first place.  
But he couldn't. He wanted to, badly, but couldn't. Not just because it was inappropriate, not just because he would never make a promise that entailed rebelling against the law, but because no matter how much he wanted to, he plain... _couldn't._

When first he had received the paperwork, a courtesy from the Central Forty-Six, he had been dumbstruck, unable to speak or move for several minutes. Torturing himself, he had feverishly re-read the papers, believing against all evidence to the contrary that it could not be true. It defied all reason. No misdemeanour had ever resulted in execution. It was _unheard of_ for nobility to be executed for any less than outright treason.  
A part of him, the Byakuya that had once defied his parents' will and married that young commoner girl for love, had flared up in anger. It was injustice! For a minute, he had burned with fury, wanting to tear down the entire division, to wreak havoc upon the cruel old men and women who dared to lay such misfortune on his house...  
But he had quashed it, quickly and with speed. To angrily defy the wisdom and authority of your elders was the attitude of a child, and Byakuya was the leader of the sixth division, and the noble house of the Kuchiki. _If he did not obey the law, then who should?_

Rukia had to die. Her fate was written in stone, the moment the sages had made their decision. He had a right to feel any one way about it he wanted, but he had no right to defy it. She had to die, even if it were by his own hand. This was a test of principle. He had lived his entire life believing in submission to proper authority, and to defy it now would be to tarnish everything he had ever done, to undo all his work, all his beliefs. Beliefs, ideals, they only mattered if they were tested. If you could throw them aside when you felt like it, they were not beliefs. They were just hobbies.

But it was still unmistakable. He had sworn on his honour, with all that that meant, on his wife's deathbed, that he would look after Rukia. Her death would compromise his honour completely. It would undo the worth of his word. No matter how this went, Kuchiki Byakuya would lose his honour. No price could atone for that.

* * *

Erza ran through the streets of Gotei. It had been easier than she had expected to evade pursuers. Once she had outran the first bunch, she had stuck to the side streets, the places she knew were the least likely to be full of running troops. Her memory of the place was still solid, twenty years later, and of course it hadn't changed the smallest bit. She had ran past several patrols on her way, but they had paid her little mind. Everyone was running around, and in the distance, she looked like any other shinigami- well, the armour would raise some questions once you got closer, but so far she had managed to dodge her pursuers.  
The question was what to do next. They had become scattered. It was for the best, all things considered, as a united group would at this stage just attract more and more attention. It did, however, make for a conundrum. Run on by herself, or try to rejoin with some of them? She could sense some of them vaguely; Ichigo seemed to be fluctuating a bit, as if he had just expelled a lot of energy at once. A fight?

She shook her head. They were Fairy Tail reformed. That meant she had to trust them to handle themselves. Best to keep running, and stick to the battle plan. She had to head inward, and at an opportune time make as much noise as possible, while the faster or less conspicuous members of the team made their way to rescue Rukia. Erza was no master strategist, but this battle plan suited her well. Devised by Urahara and Yoruichi, it was as solid as these flimsy circumstances would allow. So run she did.

She felt the attack coming well before it hit, and quickly put dashed back. From around a corner, a shinigami came at her, sword drawn. The first swing had missed, as Erza put distance between herself and her attacker. His reiatsu came across her, washing over her like a long-forgotten smell...  
Meticulously well-controlled. Almost neurotic. Vice-captain level. So, so very familiar.

"Izuru." She said. The shinigami paused, and looked at her, a fire in his eyes.

"So it's you," he said furiously, his guard up. Erza had refrained from drawing her blade; most people her could outright die from one of her basic attacks. This particular attacker, she was even less keen to hurt.  
"What brought you back? You weren't content ruining all of our reputations and careers, not to mention attempting to do the same to the Gotei?"

"You career seems just fine," Erza said, noticing the badge on his arm, which read 'three'. Oh no... he was under Ichimaru Gin.

"We took a hit, but we bounced back," Kira said, pacing around her, his sword ready to strike."No thanks to you. To think we believed in you..."

A pained look went across Erza's face. It had been twenty years; twenty years of perfect evidence against her as provided by Aizen. Of course they all believed she was some monster. She would have to fight him. The problem was, she still remembered him as the enthusiastic young little nobleman put in her care, so many years ago.

"I... wish I had some answers for you," she said, "but the truth is unbelievable, and I don't think anything I have to say would satisfy you."

"We agree there!" Kira said, and quickly surged forward. His form was good, strong, well practiced and deadly. Erza simply caught the blade in one hand. There was a small trickle of blood, as Izuru struggled to wrench it free.

"Izuru, let me tell you this," Erza said firmly, "I am strong. Much stronger now than when I left. It would take the likes of Zaraki Kenpachi to break my stride. If you are going to attack me, at _least_ use your shikai."

She let go, and Izuru scoffed as he took a few steps, looking rattled.  
"You still need to work on your self control," she remarked. "It's no good looking in control if you can't act like it."

Izuru's hands clenched around the hilt of his sword. He grit his teeth, and all but growled out,  
"Raise your head, Wabisuke!"

The sword extended, becoming entirely straight, and sported a hook-like rectangular contraption at its end. Nodding approvingly, Erza pulled her Tetsu no Tama from its sheath. She hated the idea of fighting a former student, but this was hostile territory... and she could not disrespect him that much. Not to mention, he might actually have gotten dangerous.  
He surged forward, lashing out at her. He was fast; she was faster. He was strong; she was stronger. Rapidly, he hit her blade three, four times. Erza parried without difficulty.

"Are you even trying to hit me?" She chastised him. "Hit high, feint, go for the legs. Did you forget my lessons entirely?"

"No," Izuru said, shaking his head contentedly. "I was aiming for your sword. Doesn't it feel heavier?"

Erza blinked, holding her sword up. It was considerably heavier, now that she thought about it.

"It doubles the weight every time it strikes," Izuru said, almost triumphantly. "Your skill may be above mine, _sensei_, but how will you fight when you can't lift your weapon?"

"This is nothing," Erza said stubbornly, holding the sword up. Four times. The weight had doubled four times, and she could feel it taking effect. As Izuru charged in, her movements were slower- and she couldn't even parry, dodging and back-stepping to avoid his shikai. Their blades crossed once more, and she could feel the weight increase. At this rate, it wouldn't take too long for her blade to be too heavy to even function. In her mind, Tetsu no Tama cried with outrage, demanding she end this indignity. End him...  
Damn. She might really have to hurt him.

"What's the problem, _sensei_?" Izuru said, almost venomously. Her blade had crossed his a total of seven times now- eight, nine- and it was becoming heavier and heavier. "I thought only the Kenpachi could break your stride!"

Erza back-stepped a couple of times, and waited for him to come at her again. She was breathing heavily, her blade held low. Relentlessly, Izuru came at her again.

Then, Erza let her blade point to the ground. As she dropped it, its tip pierced the street easily, planting itself solidly in there. She watched the surprise in Izuru's eyes, as she took a step forward and to the side, blocking his strike with one of the armoured plates on her forearm, then slamming her elbow into his face. He staggered back, blood dripping from his nose, and Erza stepped after him, solidly slugging him in the solar plexus with an armoured fist. He coughed, his eyes going wide as the air was forced out of his lungs. Not relenting, Erza slammed another fist into his face, into his chest, unleashing a metal-plated storm of punches. He tried to bring his sword to bear, but she was inside his guard, batting it aside easily. For good measure, she grabbed him by the collar, and slammed her forehead into his. Staggering back now, he almost lost his balance, and Erza let out a final, hard left hook, connecting solidly with his jaw. Kira fell to the ground, his zanpakutou sealing itself. Erza looked at him for a second, to make sure he was down. It hurt her to have to do this, but it was better than cutting him. She turned her back, and retrieved her sword, which had returned now to its normal weight. Sighing, she sheathed it. There was blood on her knuckles, she realized. Slowly, she wiped it off on her shihakusho.

"...why?"

Izuru was still awake, it seemed. Erza turned to face.

"Why?" She repeated, not really sure what to say.

"We... believed in you..." Izuru said furiously, having forced himself up on his elbows. His face was a mess now, bruises forming all over it. "We believed in you and you turned your back on us!"

Erza really wasn't sure what to say. This was one of the things she had feared the most. To stand accused by the people she loved, innocent, and having no good answers.  
"If I'm still alive when this is over," she said slowly, "I'll tell you. But you won't like the answers I have."

"Traitor," Izuru snarled, a tear running down his reddening cheek. "You deceptive, manipulative, conniving-"

For his sake and hers, Erza took a quick step forward and knocked him over the head, as hard as she dared, and he finally went silent. Rattled, she headed further down the Gotei.

* * *

Uryu had done the _sensible_ thing, and taken to the roofs, where he had easily shaken his pursuers. Sadly, nobody else had thought to do the same, and as such he had been left alone, his companions having been scattered to the wind. His aunt would surely have been smart enough to do the same thing, but she had followed his idiot cousin, and gotten stuck in a scrap somewhere. They had won, although not without a fight, it had seemed.  
He was honestly a little lost. Not lost insofar that he didn't know where he was; he had a perfectly good feel of where everyone in his team was, and a general sense of where they had come from and where they were going, but lost in the sense that he wasn't sure what to do next. He had relied a lot on his aunt, he realized, on his aunt and on his team, and it had created a sense of dependency unbefitting of a quincy.  
This considered he had headed deeper inward, toward the prison itself. As a quincy, elegantly dashing across the walls, unhindered by his peers, he should probably arrive first. He'd grab Rukia, perhaps make some witty, dashing quip, then rapidly head back, their mission finished by night's end-

His optimistic daydreaming was interrupted as a black blur raced toward him, and if not for his extensive training, Uryu would have been hit dead on by a kido. Cursing himself, he could feel its energies very nearly manifest around him. He stumbled mid-air, as he took a second to disrupt the magical energies, and just barely recovered in time to land on his feet on a sizeable, neatly tiled roof. He had not a second to rest, as a shinigami rapidly came at him, swinging furiously and with precision. Uryu dodged, dashed back, putting distance between himself and his attacker, stopping by the edge of the roof.

"Not bad," said the shinigami, pacing maybe some twenty yards away from him. "And to think I was considering going easy on you..."

Uryu took a second to examine his opponent. He had wild, black hair, and a gangly, muscular frame. Most noticeably, he had three thin scars running down from his right eye down his cheek, a blue-grey tattoo running across his left cheek and the bridge of his nose, and yet another one on his left cheek, a simple '69'. His kimono was sleeveless, and with a choker around his neck, he looked rather a lot like a wannabe punk.  
Except his strength, and the way he carried himself, really seemed to eliminate anything 'wannabe' about him. He had a badge tied to his upper left arm, which had the character for 'nine', and Uryu assumed he had to be a highly ranked officer- a vice-captain, if he remembered Erza's lessons correctly.

"You had better not, or your arrogance will be your downfall," Uryu said with a bit more confidence than he actually had.

There was no point in letting him take the first step. Quickly Uryu dashed back, crossing a twenty-yard distance to another roof in a single bound, while letting loose three arrows before he had even landed. The shinigami was no slouch, though, and followed him almost instantaneously. Uryu's arrows went wide, and within a second he had to bend backward, dodging a wide slash that would surely have bisected him. With agility, he turned the backwards bend into a somersault, putting his fingers to the roof tiles and launching himself into the air, sending off another couple of arrows before landing smoothly. The shinigami was undeterred, coming at him just as soon as he had landed, and Uryu dodged, evaded, jumped back, and even found himself having to parry with his bow. The shinigami was powerful, experienced and tenacious.

But at the same time, Uryu was actively drawing on his surroundings, and its power surged through him. Here, he had an unprecedented boost in power, in awareness, and although many a time the window was razor thin, he managed to avoid being cut. A single good hit could end him, he knew this very well. He was still human, and did not have the shinigami's legendary constitution.

"You're a real nuisance, aren't you?" The shinigami said, letting out a set of quick thrusts.

"I aim to misbehave!" Uryu shot back. It was as frustrating for him as it had to be for the shinigami. He was fast enough to avoid getting attacked, yet at this distance, up close, he could not draw his arrows fast enough.

The shinigami surged forward again. The cut was horizontal, and quite wide, and if Uryu had been more experienced, he would have suspected the feint.

"Hado number one: Shou!" The shinigami cried, thrusting forth his free hand under his sword arm. The kido spell hit, almost point blank, and sent Uryu tumbling across the roof, nearly falling off. He cursed to himself; he should have expected their senior fighters to be more than one-trick ponies. Desperately he formed his bow, holding it up just in time to block a cut that might have taken his head off.

"You sure you're human, boy?" The shinigami said, pushing the sword down, edging closer to Uryu's neck. "You don't feel like one. Too strong."

"By the pride of the quincy!" Uryu snarled, both in defiance and as an answer to his question. Two arrows surged out from his bow, taking the shinigami right in the gut. He staggered back, but still kept his guard up. Uryu managed to get to his feet.

"Quincy, huh?" The shinigami said, and grimaced. "I shoulda known. Aren't you supposed to be extinct?"

"You could say that the rumours of our death are largely- no actually, that sounds like something my cousin would say," Uryu grunted, realizing he might have spent a bit too much time in his company.

"Firing with only one hand, though?" The shinigami said. He looked at Uryu differently now, less aggressively. He seemed to be taking him more seriously- which couldn't be good.

"Shots fired with one hand are neither powerful nor accurate," Uryu said, "but point blank, that does not matter."

"Here I thought getting up close was the answer," he said, his face quite stoic. Without warning, he cried, "Hado number thirty-three: Sokatsui!"  
There was a blast of blue lightning, surging out at incredible speed, and Uryu just barely had the time to roll off the roof, practically thrown down. He managed to land on his feet, although his knees screamed in protest.  
However, his had an unexpected benefit. It was cowardly to hide, but this was a mission and he had no choice with an opponent of this calibre. Quickly, he dashed around a corner. The shinigami was hot on his heels, jumping down, but he had lost sight of him temporarily. He could sense him, as clear as if he could see him with his eyes; he felt him look around, to one corner, to the other, cautiously advancing...  
One quick _hirenkyaku_ forward, Uryu dashed up against a wall, and lined up a solid shot, aiming for the shinigami's neck. To his credit, he reacted quickly, and his dash to the side made the arrow veer slightly off its mark, burying itself into his shoulder. A second later, he cried,

"Shakkaho!"

Judging by the quality and power of the kido, it was only intended to give him some space, and Uryu was happy enough to oblige, stepping out of the way as the spell impacted where he had been half a second earlier, shattering part of a house wall. Uryu quickly moved back up to the roof, the shinigami hot on his heels.

Uryu was ready with his bow when his enemy came up, sailing smoothly through the air despite his injury. He had time to aim and fire just one arrow, hitting before the shinigami had landed, before he could dodge, but the second went wild as the shinigami charged in like a bull, seemingly undeterred. He was bleeding profusely, having taken the second hit in his lower chest, and he seemed to have slowed just a little... just not nearly enough. Uryu barely hopped back from a sideways cut that would have split him open like a pig, desperately putting distance between himself and his antagonist. Honourable fighting, it seemed, was hard.

"Keep still, you little son of a bitch!" The shinigami snarled. "That actually _hurt_!"

"Good soldiers do not complain!" Uryu snapped back, well aware that he was constantly on the edge of death. His opponent seemed less interested than ever in taking prisoners, if that had been an option to begin with.

"Bakudo number four: Hainawa!" He cried out, catching Uryu mid-air as the quincy moved back. Tugging hard, he pulled Uryu back, his sword ready for a stab-  
-and then he skipped back at the last moment, Uryu managing to turn a crash landing into a roll, just barely keeping his balance to get on his feet.

"You let go." Uryu remarked, stringing his bow.

"I'm not vice-captain for nothing," the shinigami scoffed. "You were drawing your bow to shoot me in the head. That close? Too risky. I'd die, even if you got speared with me. Takes balls to be ready to go down like that, I'll give you that,"

"We quincy win, no matter the cost," Uryu boasted. Truth be told it had been an instinct, all thoughts having vanished except that one opportunity.

The shinigami's eyes narrowed and he charged forward again. Uryu dashed to the side, but the shinigami traced his arm to follow his movements.

"Sho!"

The spell was quite close, and although Uryu could sense it well enough, he could not evade it. He grit his teeth and steeled himself as the kido, although weakened from its simpler form, impacted dead on and sent him tumbling. Uryu tumbled off the roof, and his landing was not smooth this time. The air was half knocked from his lungs, and he grimaced with pain; his ribcage has been rattled badly, and he only hoped he hadn't cracked any ribs.  
The shinigami would give him no rest, of course, and despite his body screaming in protest, Uryu launched himself into a backward somersault, evading yet another cut just barely. Strands of black hair sailed through the air, and Uryu knew he had evaded decapitation literally by a hair's breadth. He skid backward, bringing his bow up again-

Then his movements froze, his body suddenly held perfectly still. The shock was intense, mentally at least, and it took Uryu a couple of seconds to realize. A kido spell of some sort, six rods of light circling his torso, holding him frozen in place. His concentration broken, his bow dissipated.

"A delayed spell, at full power," the shinigami said, his breath a little ragged. Uryu could feel the edge of the shinigami's zanpakutou rest against his neck. "Wasn't sure I'd get you there, but it was worth a shot."

"Sending me tumbling down to that street, then coming at me from the other direction, herding me right into your trap..." Uryu said, almost with admiration. "I underestimated you, shinigami."

"Same to you." His captor said, and nodded.

"So is this where I die? Make it brief, if so."

The shinigami shook his head. "I'm not one to murder the helpless. You're looking forward to arrest and the inside of an interrogation cell, buddy."

Uryu grit his teeth. Keep him talking...  
"What is your name?"

"Shuhei Hisagi," the shinigami said. "Vice-captain of ninth division. You did pretty well, quincy."

"Ishida Uryu. Much obliged." Uryu said sourly.

"Now, why don't we get you out of here..." Hisagi said. Still holding on to his sword, he moved forward, lowering his guard. Suddenly, Uryu's bow hand rose, the bow forming, and he fired a quick series of shots with just one hand. They were weak and inaccurate, but at almost point blank range... it did not matter. Hisagi tried to move, but it was much too late. A dozen shots having hit his gut, he staggered back and fell onto his back. The bakudo dissipated, apparently bound to its master's will, and Uryu stood up, breathing just as heavily as Hisagi had a moment ago.

"It was a clever gambit," Uryu said, huffing, to Hisagi. The shinigami was far from dead, groaning in pain, and Uryu made a mental note that they were damn hard to kill. "Strategically sound. But you underestimated a quincy's ability to control reiatsu. The moment I realized I was trapped, I started to try and unravel it. I could only get my arm loose, but it was all I needed."

"Well sunnofabitch..." Hisagi muttered.

"Well fought," Uryu said, and nodded at him. Slowed, tired and weakened, he hopped up to the roof. That had been _one_ of their second strongest rank, and Uryu knew he hadn't even used the power of his zanpakutou to its fullest. This mission... what had he got himself into?

* * *

Things had gotten strangely quiet as Orihime and Tatsuki made their way deeper into the Gotei. Too quiet, in fact, which only made Tatsuki feel like it was too good to be true. Orihime, naturally, was oblivious, cheerily marching along.  
After what they had done to that Jirobo guy, they had hurried away, and after dodging a few more patrols, snuck onward. They had made it at least two kilometres further in now, and not one patrol, not one band of zealous shinigami running in to get themselves a beating...

So when Tatsuki felt a surge of energy, she was more than prepared, grabbing Orihime and dragging her back as a shot of red light impacted where they had stood two seconds ago, spraying shards of rock across the street.

"Ahahaha!" The voice was deep, bombastic, and pompous, and Tatsuki looked up. Just like before, the attack had come from a roof, although their attacker seemed more interested in striking a pose than to stage an attack.  
"You did well to avoid that attack! Naturally, I _meant_ for it to miss! For I, the great Omaeda Marechiyo, senior veteran of the elite stealth corps, wished for you both to know your doom was coming!"  
He was tall, as tall as the last one, but noticeably wide around the waist. He had vain little sideburns, a golden chain around his neck, and resembled nothing so much as an ogre in a uniform.

"Excuse me," Orihime said politely, "but if you're in the stealth corps, shouldn't you be trying to attack us more sneakily?"

"I-it may seem that way to ignorant rubes like you, ryoka scum, but my grasp of tactics by far outstrips yours!" He bellowed, and Tatsuki quickly deduced the man was an idiot. "In fact, I am employing the tactic of shock and awe and intimidation!"

"Yeah, that's us all right," Tatsuki said, sounding unimpressed. "We're intimidated, all right. Trembling in our boots."

"But we don't have any boots," Orihime chimed in. "Ooh, are we going to steal his boots? But I don't think he has any either..."

"Clearly you are bold and audacious to the point of foolishness, to resist my special technique!" Bellowed Omaeda, and jumped down from the roof, sword drawn. He had no doubt intended to make it look impressive, but he seemed to barely keep his footing.

Tatsuki took a step forward. "I'm taking care of this one," she said confidently.

"Are you sure?" Orihime said, sounding concerned. "You remember what Erza said- don't take any unnecessary risks. It'll be better if we do it together."

"_I got this,_ okay?" Tatsuki insisted. "That fatso doesn't look like a risk to me. I'll handle it. If it's too much... I'll call you. Okay?"

"O-kay," Orihime said cheerily.

"Don't you ignore me!" Omaeda snarled, and took a stance, his sword out.

"You," Tatsuki said, pointing at him while holding her staff behind her, quite casually, "what is your rank?"

"Huh?" Said the fat man.

"I'm not going to even take you seriously unless you're at least a tenth seat," Tatsuki said. "So which is it?"

"I-I am in fact the seventh seat of division two!" Omaeda cried. "But you should tremble in fear, because I was once its vice-captain!"

"Used to be, huh?" Tatsuki said, in a flat tone that stated clearly what she thought _that_ implied.

"I was deposed by a devious, scheming careerist bastard!" Omaeda insisted, clearly having no concept of an indoor voice. "However, arresting you ryoka will prove to my captain once and for all that that was a mistake!"

"Uh huh..." Tatsuki said, stepping forward, holding her staff at the ready.

"I am warning you, ryoka!" Omaeda shouted. "Surrender right now, or-"

He was rudely interrupted by the tip of Tatsuki's staff slamming into his face, and he staggered back.

"Son of a bitch!" He snarled. "I wasn't finished, you-"

Again Tatsuki hit, rapping him across the face with her staff, leaving an ugly red mark on his cheek.

"You were full of openings, so I attacked." Tatsuki said plainly.

"God damn it, that was my nose! You broke my beautiful nose, you filthy commoner!" Omaeda snarled.

"Cry me a river," Tatsuki said pitilessly.

Letting out an infuriated snarl, the ogre of a man swung his sword in a wide arc. It was surprisingly fast and strong, given how he had appeared thus far, and Tatsuki jumped back, narrowly evading the attack.

"I'll make you pay for underestimating the great Omaeda!" He roared, and went forward, pressing his advantage. He cut at her, fast and hard, and Tatsuki soon realized that although he was a fat idiot, he was not all talk. She parried once, twice, then put her staff into the ground and propelled herself up, slamming a spinning kick into the man's face, breaking his offence. Quickly she landed on her feet, recovering.

"You fell into my trap, you fool!" Omaeda cried triumphantly, pointing at her. "I simply misled you into thinking I was incompetent, when I am in fact far stronger than you!"

"Then why are you bragging about it when I'm still standing?" Tatsuki said, taking the offence herself this time. She quickly hopped forward, sending a rapid series of strikes at Omaeda. He parried, but that was what Tatsuki wanted. As he focused on her high strikes, she spun a kick into his knee.  
But to her surprise, he barely even budged, and a quick left hook slammed into Tatsuki's face. She was knocked over, but managed to turn it into a roll, quickly getting back to her feet.

He was a _lot_ tougher than he had seemed. If he hadn't stopped to boast, he might actually have found an opening to beat her by now. Briefly, she considered calling in Orihime. No... not just yet.

"You face your doom, ryoka!" Omaeda roared. "Feel honoured, for I am about to show you the true extent of my power! Smash her, _Gegetsuburi!_"

His zanpakutou glowed briefly, then extended and changed shape. Its handle remained the same, but the blade had changed; it was now a large, thick chain, and attached to its end was a black metal ball the size of a large pumpkin, with nasty-looking pointed metal studs across its surface. Omaeda laughed triumphantly, as he spun it through the air, sending it toward Tatsuki. Nearly caught by it, Tatsuki bent over backward, and felt a draft of air; it had come that close to hitting her head. She back-flipped, and hopped back a few steps, only for the ball to shoot out again, and again, slammed with surprising speed. It made a mess of whatever it hit, walls or street, and Tatsuki realized, as she dodged one blow after another, that a single hit would probably turn her into paste, human being as she was. Orihime could heal people remarkably well, she knew, but she was not willing to test what her limits were.

"Ah hah hah!" Omaeda let out a burly laugh, as he continued his relentless assault. "What's the matter, ryoka? You sounded so confident before!"

"Need a hand?" Orihime cried from the distance.

"I can handle myself!" Tatsuki cried back stubbornly.

Truth be told, she was getting less worried as it went on. He had gained power, certainly, but he had lost speed. The attacks were easy to predict, and although they were devastating, she had no trouble getting out of their way.  
The problem was that he had more reiatsu than her, and a sturdier physique. Although she was not dying any time soon, she found it hard to find an opening to get in close. Time was on his side- if it went on too long, she would wear out, her inferior training with reiatsu causing exhaustion much faster. If she got tired, she would eventually make a mistake, and that would be that. Not to mention that there would be more shinigami coming, and sooner rather than later...

Then it came to her. As the next attack came in, the studded ball of death surging right at her, Tatsuki stood still.

"Hah!" Omaeda cried. "I've got you now, ryoka scum!"

But then, at the last second, Tatsuki sidestepped. She could feel one of the studs glance her shoulder, and it hurt- nothing broken, she hoped. But it had worked. Quickly, she grabbed on to the chain, and as Omaeda pulled his weapon back again, she was pulled in with it. He was strong, and she gained quite some momentum, enough that she was afraid she couldn't react in time...

...but then she felt a gratifying impact as her leg connected with his head, in a vicious sweeping kick, amplified by the momentum the ogre had created for her himself. Omaeda let out a gurgle, and a couple of teeth spilled onto the ground. As he took a few steps back, Tatsuki landed on her feet and followed her attack up before he could recover. Quickly, she jabbed him with her staff in the stomach, in the neck, in the chest, each impact charged with her energy. Using the staff to propel herself forward, she landed a solid punch to his face, and this time she could feel cartilage and bone crumble under her knuckles; this time she really _had_ broken his nose.

Not beaten yet, Omaeda hit back with a punch of his own, and Tatsuki's hand hurt as she caught it. She was flung back, managing to keep her balance without trouble, but she realized it wasn't over yet.

"You filthy, low-born bitch!" Omaeda snarled, sounding furious. "I'll fucking crush you! SMASH HER, GEGETSUBURI!"

The ball came at her again, but it was a wild swing, lacking the precision it had had before. Tatsuki jumped over it, somersaulting forward, and dashed at him again. He snorted, and pulled the chain back, but Tatsuki was ready, dropping to the ground and then using her staff to pole-vault forward as the ball sailed over her, back to its owner.

"I think I see why you got demoted!" Tatsuki cried as her staff found its mark, impacting with the ogre's knee, this time gaining her a pained grunt from her opponent as he slumped forward. "You lack discipline!"

She hopped into the air, hitting him on the chin with a down-and-up kick, followed shortly by a sharp, hard whack to the side of his face. Relentlessly, Tatsuki struck him again and again, always focusing on his head- he had far too much bulk everywhere else for her liking. Omaeda groaned and moaned, his defence broken, staggering down from one knee to being on both, before finally succumbing to a particularly vicious hit, falling over unconscious. Blood was trickling from his face, which was red and bruised, and starting to well up badly. Tatsuki finally stopped herself, and took a few deep, long breaths.

Her control was still lacking. She had won, but it had taken a lot out of her. If she was ever going to catch up with Ichigo... she had to do better.

"Yay, Tatsuki!" Orihime cheered, running up to her friend and doing what Tatsuki supposed was cheer leader moves- or what she thought were cheer leader moves, at least. "T-A-T-S-U-K-I! That's... hmm, what's a good chant?" She stopped herself, and grinned. "Well, it doesn't matter- Great job!"

"Uh, yeah..." Tatsuki said, and smiled and nodded. "Thanks."

"That was so cool-" Orihime started, but Tatsuki was still on edge, and sensed it.

"Shush!" She said quickly, and not a moment later, a team of black-clad shinigami jumped down from the same roof Omaeda had come from. They were different from the others, their clothes form-fitting and their faces obscured by a strip of cloth.

"So what the hell are you, the ninjas?" Tatsuki said aggressively, holding her staff up.

"He _did_ say he was with the stealth corps." Orihime said. "Isn't it a funny word, 'corps'? It is spelled almost exactly like 'corpse', but it sounds _totally_different."

Tatsuki counted them. There were five or so, and although she could not sense anywhere near the same strength as Omaeda from them, they were quiet, professional and moved like they knew what they were doing, which was somehow much more worrying.

"You want some?" She said, keeping an eye on them, waiting for just a single wrong move.

"After what you did to him?" Said the ninja in the front, in a quietly stupefied tone. "I don't think so. Not my job. Let someone else get themselves beaten half to death."

"Huh?" Tatsuki said.

"Ooh, a peaceful resolution!" Orihime cheered. "Could this be the start of a new alliance between ninjas and humans?"

"...just let us have that fat idiot, okay?" Said the lead ninja, looking tired. "He's useless, but his dad is rich and it's my ass if some ryoka ends him."

"...okay." Tatsuki mumbled, a little surprised at this. "We'll just uh... be on our way, and you'll get him. Sound fair?"

"Fair," said the ninja and nodded. "Come on, boys- help me carry him."

There was a collective groan from his comrades. Feeling oddly puzzled, yet grateful, Tatsuki took Orihime by the hand, and continued deeper into the Gotei.

* * *

Another body slumped to the floor of the courtyard, joining the several dozens which already lay there, quite unconscious. Fifth division was alive with noise and action, as Chad, towering over nearly all of his foes, downed one shinigami after another, almost without fail in a single hit. He had wandered in to the main court of the division, quite by accident, and had quickly been surrounded. The first few had attempted to arrest him, with little success.  
Say what you would about shinigami, Chad thought as he raised his fist again, decking a female officer with a quick left hook, they were at the least brave. Despite the hundred or so who lay still or writhing in pain, on they came. Currently, twenty or so had decided to pile onto him. Nearly anyone else might have collapsed under the sheer weight, but Chad stubbornly remained standing. He shook his shoulders a few times, and the pile dissolved, shinigami of all sorts of ranks tumbling off him in several undignified heaps.

Hundreds more looked on him in awe, standing undecided as their leaders were being pummelled by this strange giant of a ryoka. Another officer slammed into a wall, after having been sent flying, and Chad stared down his opponents. He had best move on. He could attract the wrong sort of attention-

"You fool!" It was another shinigami, taller and seemingly more powerful than the others, standing before Chad. Continuously, he swung his sword in a set of elaborate patterns, suggesting an intimate knowledge of its exact workings. "I am third seat Tukain Jinoru, the finest blademaster of this division's officers! You meet your end here and now, invader scum-"

Chad's fist had surged out, fast and hard, through the man's guard. As it impacted with his cheekbone, he was sent flying through the air, over a tall building. Where he landed, Chad couldn't tell, but as the seconds passed it seemed less and less likely he was getting up. Perhaps now he could move on?

But there was no such luck. From seemingly out of nowhere, there was a series of explosions around him, shaking the ground. Chad calmly turned to look at whoever had caused it. It had formed a neat, if rather rough circle around him, and it was obvious it had been a warning. Further down the courtyard he could see a petite woman marching toward him, the shinigami parting in awe of her. She wore a badge on her sleeve, and it was obvious she was some sort of leader. If not for her military uniform and the sword at her belt, she would have looked the very picture of traditional femininity, her hair kept up in a bun, neatly wrapped in cloth.

"Vice-captain," he said, remembering the lessons Erza had beat into them.

"You're pretty well informed," she said. "I am Hinamori Momo, vice-captain of fifth division. In the name of the Gotei, I ask that you quietly surrender. This has gone far enough."

"My apologies," Chad said, his voice quiet and even, "but I cannot do that. Please let me pass, and nobody else will be hurt. I detest violence."

"I can tell," Hinamori said, looking at the large assortment of unconscious or writhing-in-pain soldiers littering the courtyard.

"I do." Chad said. "I fight because I must. A friend needs my help, so I must give it, no matter what."

Hinamori nodded resolutely. "I respect that. Really, I do. But I can't let you hurt anyone else. I don't care for violence either, so I'm asking you one final time: come quietly, or I will have to hurt you."

"I cannot," Chad said simply.

Hinamori sighed. "I was afraid of that."

Suddenly she took a stance, bending her knees and pointing her left hand at Chad.

"Rikujokoro!" She cried, and six rods of light manifested out of nowhere, around Chad's chest, holding him firmly in place. Hinamori was not done yet, and from her hands surged a fully powered _Sokatsui_. She had long since mastered most normal kido, and forming a mid-tier offensive spell like this without words was child's play. The lightning slammed into Chad's chest, and there was a flash of light, dust being kicked up from the release of power. It was not her style to hurt the helpless, but a man capable of laying waste to officer shinigami like these would not die from this, not even close.

The dust settled, and Chad looked indifferent. His shirt had taken a beating, his chest showing through several rips in its fabric, but he was not bleeding or burnt.

"That stung." He said simply. Then, defying the masterful binding spell around his chest, he moved his hand to grasp one of the yellow beams. It moved slowly, as if through tar, but that he could deny paralysis at all... he had to be quite powerful.  
His hand closed around one of the bars, and strained a little. The bar creaked, then cracked under the pressure. A few seconds later he had broken free, the spell dissipating behind him.

"Oh my," Hinamori said plainly.

"Do you still insist?" Chad said.

"Yes." Hinamori said firmly.

Chad balled his fists, and surged with energy as he ran forward. He towered over the vice-captain, several feet taller, and the charged punch he sent at her was a terrifying sight for the shinigami watching. Hinamori was not phased, however, and held her arms up in a cross. Immediately, a yellow disc manifested in front of her, ethereal and with no clear edges. It shook and trembled under Chad's vicious strength, but held firm. Punch after punch failed to penetrate, and Chad tried to step to the side, only to find that the disc moved along with him, refusing to allow that its master be exposed. Stubbornly, Chad continued to punch at it, managing to slowly force it back a little, Hinamori taking step after step backward.

"Where are you looking?" Hinamori said. The voice came from elsewhere, behind him, and Chad quickly turned to look. A barrage of red shots slammed into his chest, exploding furiously. He managed to keep his footing, but Hinamori was not done.

"Hainawa!" She cried, and a yellow stretch of rope extended from her left arm, wrapping around his ankles. She pulled, and Chad fell, pulled toward her. Hinamori extended her free arm up toward the skies, and energy surged as she carefully formed her spell.

"_Soren Sokatsui!_" She cried, and the massive blast channelled through her arm and out through the other, coursing through the yellow rope, flooding Chad's body with electricity that could literally have killed a herd of buffalo. A spell of this magnitude, she had still not quite entirely mastered, and calling out its name was still necessary for a full effect.

Chad convulsed and spasmed a little, and then the effect passed. Smoke lifted from him, as his clothes nearly caught fire.

"I'm sorry," Momo said. "I hope you won't end up dead-"

Chad stirred, and to her shock got up to his knees, then slowly stood upright.

"Oh, _crap,_" she said. How could a human be that powerful?

With a speed that was surprising for somebody who had just been thoroughly electrocuted, Chad surged forward, a punch slamming into Momo. The disc formed, but too late, and cracked, absorbing only some of the impact. She felt the air knocked out of her lungs as she was flung backward, ungraciously ending up in a wall, which cracked behind her.

Groaning with pain she got back to her feet, only to see Chad standing there, waiting for her. He had not pressed his advantage, not hit her while she was down, like a more ruthless opponent might have. Slowly she walked toward the centre of the courtyard, the human following her movements cautiously. He did not seem eager to attack unless provoked.

"Everyone, please listen!" She said loudly. "Escort your wounded comrades out of here immediately. Clear the area. I am afraid I will have to take this seriously."

There was a frightened scurrying as her subordinates cleared the courtyard as quickly as they could, obeying her order of getting the wounded out frantically. There was a cracking in the air as Hinamori's reiatsu began to grow. She pulled out her zanpakutou.

"You're frighteningly strong," she said, her tone even and sombre. "I wish I could go easy on you, but I can't." She held up her sword, and said, "Snap, _Tobiume!_"

The sword straightened, two prongs extending, one from each side of the blade. One further up, one lower down.

"The power of _shikai,_" Chad said. "I have a feeling I may have to return what you said about 'frighteningly powerful'."

"Oh, we're not halfway there yet." Momo said, with a small apologetic smile. She tossed her blade up into the air, and instead of falling, it rested itself mid-air, the blade pointing down and the hilt pointing up.

"Odd," Chad said.

"My Tobiume has a direct attack," Hinamori said, taking a few steps forward. "I used to think that was all it could do. But it's a kido type, and it's far more powerful... when it amplifies my power." Slowly, she lifted off the ground, levitating into the air until she was a good five feet up. There was wind gathering around them, and energy so saturated that it was visible to the naked eye crackled in little sparks of lightning. Without warning, a set of gold-coloured rings, some two meters across and some no larger than a dinner plate, each inscribed with odd runes, surged out. Chad took a defensive pose, but they moved well past him, settling in a ring around the courtyard.

"It's a restraint," Hinamori said. "To contain my power so that it doesn't spill out. I haven't ever used it inside the Gotei before. You're a first, that way."

"Honoured." Chad said. Decided to wait no longer, he let out a passionate war-cry, and charged forward, fist raised. It was for nothing, however, as a shield blocked his attack, and an explosion triggered the moment he hit sent him flying back. More golden rings extended across the courtyard, each one appearing to channel more energy. As Chad got to his feet, an innumerable mass of golden vines extended from the ground, wrapping around his legs, his arms, restraining him. With raw power, sheer force, he battled against them, but no sooner had he taken a couple of steps forward, still struggling to break free, than Momo had summoned another powerful spell. Gathering in the air, crying to be released, was a black cloud of raw energy. It surged toward Chad, enveloping him completely. He punched at it, but it was useless; you can't hit mist with your fists.

"Surrender." Momo said, her voice echoing across the space she had made for herself.

"I cannot!" Chad insisted.

An instant later, the cloud exploded. The force was enough to level all the nearby buildings, three barracks being reduced to rubble, and the courtyard floor itself wrecking in an instant. It was not over, Hinamori could still sense him, but she let the dust clear first. Breathing raggedly, Chad still stood, swaying like a boxer who had almost, but not quite had everything beaten out of him.

"Surrender." She repeated.

"I... cannot..." Chad said, gasping for breath.

Hinamori sighed. "So be it.:"

She wove her arms in an intricate pattern, closing her eyes. "Chronometron freeze."

The words were spoken quietly, but instantly, Chad stood still in one place.

"I wish I could just let that be that," Hinamori said, "but I can't take any chances with somebody like you." She moved her arms around again, in a more vicious pattern. "Golden Lightning Storm."

The spell was one of her own making, created by the revolutionary magic she had discovered and learned so thoroughly. Arcing from each ring, bolts of golden lightning rods struck Chad, over and over, one after another without mercy. Finally they ceased, the spells around him slowly easing out of existence, and he fell over in a manner not unlike a tree, impacting on the wrecked ground with an audible 'thud'. Smoke came from his clothes, and as Hinamori slowly descended to the ground, Tobiume returning to her hand and sealing itself in the process, she wondered if he could really have survived. The rings shimmered away, her entire network of spells now disbanded at her command, and things returned to normal. Sort of.

"Whe-ew!" The voice was lackadaisical, even lazy, and unmistakably familiar. Walking through the rubble was captain Kyoraku Shunsui, wearing his usual pink Kimono and straw hat.

"Captain Kyoraku!" Hinamori exclaimed, and quickly bowed.

"I feel like I should be bowing, after seeing that," Kyoraku said jokingly. "Now that's the sort of thing to put the fear of god into a man. Was that bankai?"

"N-nothing of the sort," Hinamori stuttered. "Just... advanced kido."

There was a slight, pained groan from Chad, who stirred slightly. Kyoraku gave a whistle.

"Well I'll be damned. He's still alive. Boy's got the endurance of an ox."

"I made sure to hold myself back," Hinamori explained. "To kill somebody unnecessarily..."  
Erza would have disapproved.

"You're a kind soul, Momo," Kyoraku said, and nodded. "Anyhow, I just came by to tell you your captain got held up a bit. Seems like you got things under control, though." He nodded toward the surrounding areas.

"Oh, my goodness..." Hinamori all but gasped, putting both hands over her mouth. The entire courtyard looked like it had been hit by a tornado. Buildings lay in ruin, the courtyard floor was not only smashed, but reduced to sand, everything within her circle having been utterly devastated.  
"Oh no... captain Aizen is going to kill me..." she mumbled paling. "Our budget will be _so_ strained..."

"Given that the ryoka actually survived that, it seems appropriate." Kyoraku said reassuringly. "I'll gladly testify that you used necessary force to subdue a dangerous opponent."

"He _did_ beat down a whole bunch of officers, including the third seat, without breaking a sweat..." Hinamori said, still seeming shocked.

Kyoraku nodded. "Don't you worry. Your captain will understand. Anyhow..."

"Oh yes, I'm sure you have urgent business elsewhere," Hinamori said, although a nagging little voice in her head told her that he was probably off to have a drink of sakè.

"I do, I do. The old man's got us all out and joining the hunt," he said with a sigh. "But I thought you should know, since I was in the area..."

"Yes?" Hinamori said curiously.

"The ryoka." Kyoraku said. "They are being led by Erza Scarlet."

Her heart skipped a beat as he said it, and her eyes went wide. She was back! After all these years, she was back! She felt a rush of joy, overriding all her fears and worries. Quickly, she did her best to hide her excitement, forcing her face to not break out into a grin. Something told her the captain did not find it too convincing.

"Something to consider," he said slowly. "I'd think carefully on what I did next, if I were you."

"Uh... huh?" Hinamori said, failing to come up with anything more clever or appropriate.

"Well," Kyoraku said in a casual tone, "safeguarding the division in such a perilous time is a demanding task, after all. Not to mention overseeing reconstructions! At any rate... I think I must be going. Be careful, vice-captain."

The very slight emphasis on the last part, _vice-captain,_ told her he meant something by it...

But she put that thought aside. She was back. She was _back!_ Just like she had hoped, just like she had known she would, she had come back! As captain Kyoraku walked away, she allowed herself a little skip and jump into the air, followed by a very controlled squeal.

She was back! She had come back to her!

* * *

_I sure hope you all enjoyed these fights. I know you all wanted things to be a bit different than cannon, and i think this chapter shows that we're more than willing to do that! Fact is, we always were. _

_I knew from very early on that i would have Momo fight chad. I dont want you to see this as a minor win though. Despite all the shit he gets from the fandom, Chad IS powerful. He was capable of defeating a 3rd seat in ONE hit. Thats a guy thats supposed to the the 3rd strongest in the divison, thats just below vice captian. Im positive Chad could have beaten almost all the vice captians really...But, I anted Momo to get a chance to shine, and Chad was the only one i was willing to have lose at this point._

_Dont worry though, I plan on redeeming him with some awesome fights down the line. I will NOT make Chad this series Yamcha. _

_Also hope you enjoyed the other battles. I figured Erza could use an emotional battle, and Omeada was a great chance for some laughs, while still being a good opponent for Tatsuki, Guy may not be fit for a 2nd division vice captain position, but he IS a strong soul reaper in his own right._

_Im also hipping that you all enjoyed Uryu vs Hisagi. If Hisagi HAD used his shikai, he probably would have won,,,but we all know he hates to use it. That was his downfall._

_I cant WAIT to hear what you all have to say about this chapter in the reviews. Im super excited for that, so please, continue to leave such amazing reviews like you have for the past two years._


	39. Expect The Unexpected

**Here we are once again with another chapter. Its from here on that things become even more different than the original canon. How is something you'll find out soon enough, but the why is simple, to mix things up. Id like to think that what we've done so far has been a good retelling of things so far. However, its in this chapter that things get more complicated. In a good way mind you, but still. I**

**I cant wait to hear what you all have to say about it. Feedback and Reviews for this chapter are more important here than they have been in the past, so please, let us know what you think in your review, it would REALLY help us out.**

**Also, here's some words from GreatKingRat88.**

**"Greetings! Now, if any of you notice deviations from canon, including in-universe mechanics like the shunko, consider that it may just be intentional. We're doing things differently, big and small."**

**Well, enough of my rambling, im sure your not here for this, but rather the story! So, lets begin!**

**Special**** thanks once again to GreatKingRat88.**

**Also, id like to take a moment for to thank ****jcampbellohten for Beta reading for this chapter. Thanks alot. :)**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

There were no rooftops this time. Instead, when Orihime and Tatsuki turned a corner, there stood two shinigami. The girls nearly fell over out of surprise, having almost walked right into them. Regaining their balance, they got a closer look at the two of them. Tatsuki was the first to realize who they were, or what they were, and her heart sank.

There was a tired-looking man, with messy black hair and bags under his eyes, a badge tied to his arm, and a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. He was just barely taller than Tatsuki herself. Flanking him was a positively tiny person, about two inches shorter than Tatsuki. She was slim, lean, and wore the white haori. A yellow sash ran across her waist, tying her coat together, and two braids with meticulously woven cloth over them ran down from the back of her head. She had the face of somebody who not only had eaten a lemon, but had _liked_ it, and in fact ate lemons for breakfast, lunch and supper. She was small indeed, and could have been mistaken for a student a year or two under Tatsuki, but appearances were nothing if not deceptive.

"Captain... Soifon..." Tatsuki breathed the words out, almost in disbelief.

Captain Soifon: speed specialist, chief assassin, and all around no-nonsense chief of the stealth corps, which as far as Tatsuki could tell sounded like a lovely mix of the NSA, the CIA, and the KGB.

"Oh, shoot..." Orihime said, the gravity of the situation getting through to her.

"You are well informed." The little captain said, her voice perfectly neutral.

"Here's the rub, girls," said the vice-captain, taking the cigarette out of his mouth, "after you beat up that glory-hungry moron, you got tailed. We're not idiots in the stealth corps. You got far enough already, so..." He shrugged, as if the rest was self-explanatory.

"Enough chatter," said Soifon. "Ryoka, in the name of the Gotei and the venerable Captain-Commander Yamamoto, you are under arrest. Surrender any weapons you have, get down on the ground, and come in quietly. That is an order."

There was no mistaking her tone; she was expecting to be obeyed or else.

"Rukia needs us!" Orihime said firmly. "I'm sorry, Miss Captain, but we can't do that!"

"Orihime, that's a _captain_!" Tatsuki hissed out the corner of her mouth. "You know what they said!"

"Kuchiki Rukia?" the little captain said, sounding surprised. "_That_ is your objective?"

"Could be they're lying," said the vice-captain.

"We'll find out in the interrogation room." Soifon said. "Get down on the ground, **now.** I won't say it again."

For a moment, Tatsuki struggled with what to do. Erza and Yoruichi had been completely unambiguous on what to do when encountering a captain: surrender, run, or die. No fighting them, period. Captain Soifon was small, looking harmless enough despite the cold look on her face, but even Tatsuki could feel the steady thrum of raw power radiating from her, well controlled. It was at ease now, and Tatsuki feared what it would feel like when it wasn't.  
Orihime was, well, Orihime, but Tatsuki had her feet on the ground. Fighting wasn't an option. Then again, neither was running, against somebody as fast as their opponent. So, surrender. Yes, that was the sensible option. They couldn't win and they couldn't run, and as far as she recalled, it was safe enough to surrender to her... _relatively_ speaking. She didn't want to imagine what the cells of second division were like.

But something stubborn inside her reared. _Ichigo wouldn't have surrendered._ That fact was plain as day. Even if it was impossible, even if the odds were unbeatable, you stood up and you stood tall. _But what's the point of getting beaten up, maybe killed, when you could live and maybe find a way out later?_

She wasn't sure of the answer to that. Principle, maybe? If so, it wasn't a very smart principle.

She wasn't even finished thinking when she realized that she was rushing forward, staff swinging for the hardest, most precise thrust she could manage. Fluidly, with movements speaking to assiduously practiced form, the captain dodged her attacks with frustrating ease, not even breaking a sweat.

"Sentry, subdue the other one," she said, her voice remaining as calm as ever.

"Got it, boss," the vice-captain said, and advanced on Orihime.

"Santen Kesshun, I-" Orihime began, but her incantation was cut short.

"Hado number one: Shou!" Sentry cried, and the kido slammed into Orihime's midsection, sending her flying. Tatsuki registered it happening, but was too caught up to do anything about it.

The captain had not yet done anything terrifying, but Tatsuki was still filling up with fear, growing like a tumour in her chest. She was completely unable to even lay a finger on her; it was like Yoruichi at her worst...

"The only reason I have not yet broken a few bones on you," said Soifon, as if reading her mind, "is because I recognize your form. It is... familiar. Where did you learn it?"

"None of your business!" Tatsuki snapped, sweat starting to trail down her face. What was she doing, treating a fight like an interrogation?

"The pattern..." Soifon said, sounding almost distracted. "It's _very_ familiar. Almost unique, unless there is quite a coincidence here. I repeat: where did you learn? Who is your master?"

"Why don't you beat it out of me?" Tatsuki sneered, realizing the moment the words had left her lips that it had been a very bad idea to say it. But at this point, she was starting to feel nauseated. To be trapped like a rat, with no options, against a superior foe...

Orihime had time to get to her feet, at least. Her opponent had closed the distance ever so quickly, but seemed to be in no hurry to attack now that he was before her. She had been blown away at least forty meters, and she was surprised she hadn't passed out yet. She could see Tatsuki fight, and hoped she would be okay. Determinedly, she got to her feet, the staff materialising in her hand.

"Shun shun rikka," she said, taking a deep breath.

"Look," said Sentry, approaching her with a relaxed posture, "I need to-"

"Koten Zanshun!" Orihime cried, and the angry little sprite Tsubaki surged forward, intent on cutting their enemy in half. Sentry just dodged, stepped to the side, and moved forward.

"Will you just listen-" he started, but Orihime sent the sprite at him, again and again, forcing him to dodge, duck, evade. He did it brilliantly, but he was stopped from moving forward.

"For pity's sake!" he growled.

"Don't underestimate me!" Orihime shouted, with quite a bit more heart than she actually had.

"Oh, shut up," he said irritably. There was a shudder through the air, and suddenly he was gone. A second later he reappeared behind Orihime, an expert shunpo having taken him there. Quickly he grabbed the wrist of her right hand, where she was holding her staff, and clamped his other hand over her mouth, holding her firmly. Orihime squirmed, trying to break loose, but he was much stronger.

"_Listen,_" he hissed into her ear, "_I need to talk to you._ Understood? Augh!"

Orihime had bitten the hand clasped over her mouth, stubbornly sinking her teeth into it. When he still held on, she continued to press and grind her teeth, intent on making life as hard as possible for her attacker.

"LISTEN!" The vice-captain snarled frustratedly, gritting his teeth with pain, "I need you to take a message to Erza Scarlet!"

Caught up in the moment, Orihime continued to bite and gnaw for several seconds, before the words sunk in. Surprised, she stopped her dental assault.

"I'm going to let you go now," he said irritably. "Do NOT try to fight me, or standards be damned, I'll knock you across the face so hard you'll feel it months from now. Understood?"

As best she could, her mouth still blocked, Orihime nodded. Slowly, the grip loosened, and he took a step back. Still suspicious, Orihime faced her attacker- or well, actually, come to think of it... _she_ was the attacker here.

"You said... Erza Scarlet." Orihime said hesitantly, still far from convinced this was not a trick.

"Affirmative," Sentry said. He pulled a cigarette and a match from a pocket, then lit the cigarette. He shook the hand that had been bitten and grimaced. "Those are some damnable jaw muscles on you, girl..."

"You said Erza Scarlet," Orihime repeated. "What's going on here?"

"It's a long story," Sentry said evasively. "Short of it is, she saved my life once, in the most fundamental way possible, and I've been her friend ever since. Hell, when she went down for treason, I was the one that busted her out."

Orihime blinked. There was a lot she did not know about that time. Common sense, which had kicked in for a change, told her not to trust him- but at least to hear him out. It was better than fighting, at least.

"So... what do you want?" she said, frowning skeptically.

"I need you to tell Erza that Rod Sentry is the vice-captain of second division, and that he's doing his best to bring her some help she really, really needs." He said simply. "She'll know who I am."

"Rod Sentry, that's... you, right?" Orihime said, her skepticism extending a bit further than necessary.

"...Yeah," he said, taking a puff on his cigarette. "Can you do that for me?"

"And you won't trace us to find her?"

"Smart girl," Rod said. "No, we won't. 'Sides, the entire Gotei is up in arms. We'll probably find her before you. But _if_ you do... tell her that."

Orihime nodded. "O-kay. But um, what about your captain?"

Rod made a face. "Working on it. I'll figure something out." Then, his posture relaxed, and his face came as close to lighting up as it could. "Actually... speak of the devil. I think it just solved itself."

Tatsuki did not even have time to register the first punch. One moment she was continuing futilely, trying and failing to hit the captain, and the next she was reeling back, feeling like she had been hit across the face with a sledgehammer. Blood ran from her nose, and she only barely managed to stay on her feet.

She hadn't seen the woman move. That was the most terrifying thing. She had been hit, hard, at such a speed that she couldn't even register it. What _was_ that power? That skill?

The hit had been little more than a tap, as far as Soifon was concerned, but it was more than enough. This was what it meant to face a captain.

Seeing stars, the world spinning a little, Tatsuki still stood up with her staff held at the ready. Soifon gave her a look, almost curious, and took a step forward. Tatsuki did her best to stay alert, to be ready to counter an incoming attack, but it was entirely useless. Another jab hit her in the face, too fast to even see, and the captain waited just long enough for her to regain her balance before hitting again, slugging her in the chest. Blow after blow hit home, light and perfectly controlled, and Tatsuki was powerless to stop it. She was helpless, at the mercy of an enemy much too strong for her to handle.

If she had been able to think clearly, think at all, she would probably just have given up. She was outmatched, beaten and abused; she had tried and done her best, and failed. But there was no thinking, only what training had taught her body on an instinctual level: remain standing.

Another punch slammed into Tatsuki's jaw, somehow not breaking it, but she lost her footing at last, spinning around a full three-hundred and sixty degrees before falling over. Her arms trembling, she tried to stand up, raising her bleeding, confused head to face her attacker...

Then there was a blur, and Tatsuki first thought it was a hallucination. _Something_ slammed into Soifon, and though the little captain put her arms up in a cross to block, she was flung into a wall.

"Can you stand?"

Tatsuki could barely focus her eyes, but she recognized the voice. Yoruichi.

* * *

Yoruichi had not wanted to be in this position. She had seen the ambush, although not in time to warn the two girls, and had watched from afar. Tatsuki had been badly outmatched.

The Shihoin Yoruichi that had once commanded the stealth corps, sent people to their deaths and prioritized the mission above all else, knew what to do. Soifon wasn't close to being serious, although she was curious enough to spend some time knocking Tatsuki around. The two girls would be subdued and brought to the second division barracks for interrogation. From there, Yoruichi could wait until nightfall and rescue them." They would have to endure a few hours of interrogation, which could very well be hellish, but they'd live.

But the other part of her, the one that simply thought of herself as Yoruichi the stray cat, thought differently. She did not want to tell Erza Scarlet that her adoptive daughter, and said daughter's best friend, had been beaten and tortured when it could have been stopped. Being honest with herself, she didn't want to let it happen at all.

Her reason told her to wait. Her heart told her to act. Any field operative would know which one was the more sensible choice. But then again, Yoruichi was no field operative...

Fairy Tail reformed. What a silly idea that had seemed at first. Yoruichi didn't carry the mark herself, but as she launched herself forward in an expert shunpo, she thought she might as well.

Soifon caught herself against the wall at the last moment and pushed back, landing smoothly on both feet only a little further back than where she had started. As the initial shock of the attack wore off and she got a first look at her enemy, it sunk in...

"_You!_"

She practically breathed the words, pure venom in her voice. Rage welled up inside her, a tide of hatred, and it was only her lifelong practice in self-discipline that prevented her from acting immediately. Traitor! Defector! Rebel!

"Can you walk?" skepticism said Yoruichi, keeping her eyes on Soifon.

"Jus'-jus' barely," Tatsuki said, groggy enough to slur her words. "Holy shit..."

"Get to Orihime. Now," Yoruichi said firmly. "I'll handle this."

Tatsuki had gotten to her feet, starting to stagger her way toward her friend, when Soifon made her first move. In an instant, she appeared behind Yoruichi, her short zanpakutou drawn, held alongside Yoruichi's neck.

"I've waited a long time for this," she said, her voice trembling with hateful excitement, "Sting all enemies to death, _Suzumebachi_!" The blade changed,, morphing into a black-and-yellow stinger mounted on the middle finger of her right hand.

Well over a hundred years ago, Yoruichi had run. She had done what was necessary to save her best friend, and as time went on, she had found there were few things she missed about the Soul Society. The responsibility, the harsh realities of running the stealth corps, the corpses she had left in her wake, the unrelenting, unforgiving nature of the Gotei...

There were only a few things she missed. One of them was now trying to kill her.

A hundred years ago, she had run and never looked back for the sake of a friend, yet left another behind in doing so. She had left a little girl who worshipped the ground she walked on, with no other purpose than to live for her, behind. That little girl had grown up remarkably.

Although surprised by the absurd speed, Yoruichi reacted immediately, her body becoming a blur as she moved away, away from Soifon, away from danger. Not half a second later she reappeared further back, a wall to her back, keeping a keen eye on her opponent.

"As I would have expected from you," Soifon said coldly. Her focus was entirely on Yoruichi now; there was nobody else in her entire world. "Skilful. Fast."

"You've grown, little bee," Yoruichi said, with more casual ease than she really felt.

"More than you think," Soifon said with a satisfied, almost gleeful smirk. Yoruichi's eyes widened as she felt a stirring in her reiatsu, a disturbance of some kind. She looked down at her chest, where an oddly stylized pattern had appeared, four wing-like, symmetrical leaf-shaped symbols put together like the wings of a butterfly.

"_Nigeki Kessatsu,_" Soifon said, a focused excitement burning in her voice. "Death in two hits. That is the power of my zanpakutou, Yoruichi. Anything stung twice by this will die, and nothing can fight that."

Yoruichi looked at her former student with surprise, almost shock. She had grown up, indeed. Not only was her form strong and well practiced, not only was her speed comparable to her own, but she had raised a zanpakutou just as lethal as herself. Yoruichi could not afford to take this lightly. She had been sure she had evaded any attack; she hadn't even sensed being stung...

"Cat got your tongue?" Soifon said. She pulled at her sash, smoothly undoing it and dropping her haori to the ground. She took a stance, standing before her in the stealth corps uniform, smooth, form-fitting, practical. Her eyes narrowing, Yoruichi took a stance as well.

There is little that compares, in the world of shinigami, to a battle between true masters of shunpo, the art of movement so fast that normal humans would perceive it as short-range teleportation. A second becomes an hour when a user's focus is strong enough. Every part of one's body becomes a conscious extension of one's will, rather than the bag of flesh people take for granted. To do battle at that speed is absolutely lethal, and the smallest mistake could lead to death, even for a being as sturdy as a shinigami.

Yoruichi had always had a natural affinity for it. She had always been talented, and had outstripped and outdone her mentor at a young age. To run, to run quickly, to move her body and know how every part of it needed to work at every movement... it had always made her feel alive. Run. Move. Strike. She had been known as the goddess of flash, because she would hit like a bolt of electricity- literally with that level of speed.

When Soifon surged forward, Yoruichi had no idea what to expect, but many, many decades of training kicked in, and she formed a plan. Move back. Run. Test her student's speed. See where she stood.

So when Soifon attacked, she ran, dashing up against a wall and running across the rooftops, dashing into alleys, doing her best to shake her pursuer. Soifon was, however, just as quick. Always just a step behind, she followed her former master with zealous determination. Yoruichi had to block more than a few attacks as she made her way away. In less than a minute, they had moved one, two, three kilometres from where they had started, each one appearing as little more than a blurred streak of colour.

* * *

Tatsuki had, somehow, staggered her way back to Orihime. She had no memory of it, but she had to have done that, because that shimmering shield was erected around her, rapidly curing what was most likely a serious concussion, along with bruises and broken bones. She still held on to her staff, which felt reassuring somehow.  
She became aware, as she turned her head, that there was a shinigami there. It was the vice-captain from before, who had flung Orihime into a building. Gritting her teeth, Tatsuki raised her staff.

"Easy now," he said, holding his hands up. "I really don't want to have to beat it into you, too, that I'm not a threat."

"Hold still, Tatsuki," Orihime said. "I'm not finished yet."

"But..." Tatsuki objected.

"He's an ally," Orihime said, as if it were obvious. "Old friend of Erza's."

"What, you believe that?" Tatsuki muttered.

"I could have knocked you both out by now and taken you in," said Rod, and shrugged. "But here we are."

"So what do you want?" Tatsuki muttered.

"Just a message," he said, and shrugged again.

"He's helping. But like, from the inside. He's a secret agent. Sort of like _The Departed,_ only with ninjas." Orihime said cheerily. "That would be an _amazing_ movie, actually..."

"...Right." Rod muttered. "Just be sure to tell her I'll find her when the time is right. Erza still has friends in the Gotei."

"Can do!" Orihime said happily. "There, all done," she said, turning to Tatsuki. The shield dissipated, and Tatsuki flexed her arms, feeling recovered.

"So..." Tatsuki muttered, standing up, "what are you still doing here?"

"There's actually one thing I need from you," Rod muttered, and scratched his head. "You're gonna have to knock me out. Can't sell this to the captain if it looks like I didn't go through a scrap."

"Oooh, like a real spy!" Orihime said.

"I _am_ a real spy," Rod said, sounding half-offended. "Anyhow, butch girl with staff, care to step up?"

"...sure." Tatsuki said, feeling a bit resentful of his description. Rod turned his back to her.

"Get on with it," he said, sounding less than pleased.

Tatsuki sighed, and shrugged. She raised her staff, letting her power surge, and slammed it into the back of his neck.

To her disappointment- not to mention Rod's- the vice-captain keeled over on one knee, groaning loudly. The hit had not been enough.

"Aaaauwh..." Rod growled, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is what I get for trusting rookies..."

"Want me to try again?" Tatsuki said.

"No, no, I'll play dead..." Rod muttered. "Just go, okay? Go. Get outta here before the rest of the corps shows up."

"If you say so," Tatsuki said. Rod lay down on the ground, pretending to have passed out.

"Seeya later, Mister Spy!" Orihime said cheerily. Tatsuki in tow, she went on her way into the Gotei.

* * *

Finally Yoruichi stopped, kicking Soifon in the chest to gain some distance between them. Her former student recovered neatly, regaining her balance well before she hit the ground. They had travelled across the Seireitei, back, and then some in their lightning-quick battle. Right now they were close to the fourth division, both of them having opted for the roofs. Soifon stood one building across, looking confidently at her former master, a singular purpose in her mind. Kill.

"You've really improved, little bee," Yoruichi said, all playfulness gone from her voice. In their chase, she had been stabbed another three times. Not only her chest now, but her face, her thigh, her gut, all of them sported the same butterfly mark. More times than she cared to count, Soifon had come within a hair's breadth of landing that fatal second hit.

Yoruichi had, in all honesty, been caught by surprise. She had kept busy in her time away, certainly. She had sparred with Erza on a regular basis. She had run. But she had forgotten what it was like to fight another martial artist, another speed expert, and Soifon had used that ruthlessly, whether intentionally or not. She had come a long way... she was almost at Yoruichi's level of skill. Almost.

"You've seen nothing yet," Soifon said. "You know why I discarded my _haori_, do you not?"

"That technique, eh?" Yoruichi said. That was interesting. She had only ever taught Soifon the very basics...

"Shunko!" Soifon cried, as her reiatsu surged. There were gusts of wind, as the environment reacted to the violent discharge of power, and the air crackled with the discharge of kido energy. Under her feet, the tiles of the roof cracked, several of the shards rising up into the air.

"My technique..." Yoruichi said quietly. "Of course you'd lose the haori. The excess energy vents from around the shoulders, shredding anything in the way..."  
She had created it as the perfect combination of kido and close combat. Each punch could have the charge of a powerful offensive spell if you so wanted it to, without any incantations. It was the kind of innovative, brilliant thinking that had earned Yoruichi her reputation. Now, she faced it from somebody seeming just as brilliant as her.

"It'll shred you, too," Soifon said darkly. Instantly she was before Yoruichi, and like so many times before, Yoruichi avoided it only by a hair's breadth. There was a powerful gust of wind as Soifon threw her punch, enough to momentarily throw Yoruichi off balance. As the tiling, the very building itself shattered, she realized it was Soifon's personal style- wind was how her version of the technique manifested: wild, dangerous and powerful, controlled only by its user.  
Quickly, Soifon slammed a kick into Yoruichi's midsection, and Yoruichi went tumbling. She recovered almost instantly, but it was enough for Soifon to come down with her stinger. Barely catching Soifon by the wrist just in time, she managed to stop it from reaching its target by sheer force, using both hands. She was pushed down to what was left of the roof, desperately trying not to die. However, with both hands occupied, she was left open, and Soifon slammed a fully powered punch into her gut. Yoruichi's eyes went wide as the air was pushed out of her lungs. Feeling her grasp slipping, she managed to at least slide the stinger to the side, making it miss its mark by several inches.

With extreme urgency, Yoruichi brought her legs up, still holding on to Soifon's wrist. Quickly, she locked them across her former students' torso, hoping to pin her. Soifon was wise to her intention, though, and with a quick move she discharged a strong blast of kido energy from her free hand, sending them both tumbling back. They both recovered quickly, Soifon following Yoruichi as she jumped to the next roof.  
A fifth mark had manifested, on Yoruichi's side, overlapping scarily close to its nearest neighbour.

"I'll hit you eventually," Soifon said acidly. "It doesn't matter if it takes me all day, or all week. I'll kill you, no matter what it takes."

"You're right." Yoruichi said firmly. She had no choice. It was time to stop playing around. She had hoped to settle this more easily... but there was no defeating her former student without real effort, it seemed.

"Have you accepted your death, traitor?" Soifon said gleefully.

"No," Yoruichi said, and quickly pulled her shirt off, revealing a set of tight-fitting black clothes much like Soifon's underneath. She let her reiatsu rise, and there was a surge of lightning as her own _shunko_ activated.

"Blow for blow," she said. "Let's settle this."

"I perfected it!" Soifon sneered. "Your form is inferior! I learned so much more than you ever could!"

"Then show me," Yoruichi said simply.

With an irritated grunt, Soifon charged forward, and in the span of a second, the two of them had exchanged perhaps a dozen kicks and punches. But Yoruichi was keeping up now, her lightning energy being more than powerful enough to match Soifon's wind. Without it, those punches could well have done serious damage...

But she kept up. More than that, as she started to do her best, she was outdoing Soifon.

As strong as the student had gotten, she was still Yoruichi's student. Against anyone else, she would have been utterly devastating... but Yoruichi had taught her. She knew that fighting style inside and out. As the fight went on, she found it simple to predict where the next punch or kick would be, blocking each one while finding the tiniest opening to return fire. Suddenly, she was the one driving Soifon back.

One solid punch landed, sending Soifon reeling back with blood running from her nose.

"How?" she said incredulously.

"You think you mastered my art?" Yoruichi said plainly. "I guess that would be my conclusion too, if I had no frame of reference. The goddess of flash; that's what they called me. I don't recall giving that title up."

Letting out an incomprehensible scream of frustration, Soifon jumped forward, stinger aimed at Yoruichi's chest. Reading her movement, Yoruichi let Soifon's arm move forward, then side-stepped so that it slid in between Yoruichi's arm and chest. Locking it in place with her arm, she swiftly delivered a punch to her student's throat followed by a jab to the face. Soifon staggered back, and Yoruichi jabbed her in her solar plexus, before following up with a vicious roundhouse kick to the face. Soifon collapsed, sliding down the roofside as she was practically sent flying.

Just before she could fall, Yoruichi moved, grabbing her by the wrist- the one holding the stinger, in particular, so as to not take any risks- and pulled her up.

Why she had done it, she wasn't sure. Soifon was not going to die from this little. She had just... moved.

Soifon stirred, looking oddly pitiful in this state; beaten, broken and bloody. Dirt smeared her face, mixing with little drops of blood, and Yoruichi felt a pang of sympathy. Something in her remembered that young, untrained little girl from so long ago...

"Why?" Soifon said, her voice little more than a whisper. She opened her eyes, looking up at Yoruichi. There were tears, Yoruichi realized, big and unrestrained, running down Soifon's cheeks. "Why? I just... I only wanted you to..."

Yoruichi stood up, letting go of Soifon's hand. She owed Soifon an explanation, and an apology. But right now, she had a job to do, and... however much she wanted to, she couldn't. Part of her was grateful to have an excuse not to.

"I'm sorry, Soifon. I really am. I... I'll talk to you later."

It wasn't much of a thing to say, really, but it was all she could think of. In a flash, Yoruichi was gone, leaving a broken-down Soifon sobbing on a roof.

* * *

As contact had finally been made, each one of their motley group of fighters engaging the forces of the Gotei Thirteen, Ichigo had sensed it. Not too clearly, but each one had flared up, then died down a few minutes later, each of the familiar signatures of his friends and family. He hoped it dying down had meant victory.

His mother, being a quincy, had felt it much more keenly. She had informed him that everyone was okay, for now, as far as she could tell. She had also decided that, being a quincy and therefore having some of the best tracking abilities in the group, she should check up on the others, perhaps bring them together again. After using some quincy technique to mend his injuries- or help them heal more quickly, he wasn't sure which- she had been on her way. It had pained her, Ichigo could see, but she had left him to go on ahead alone. He hadn't minded. If the others made it, then he should too.

It could only take so long before he was intercepted, though. As Ichigo came upon a square, a shinigami was waiting for him, wearing the badge of a vice-captain.

She was quite a looker. Dirty-blonde hair, full lips, and breasts larger than Erza's, displayed proudly in a generous cleavage and further emphasized by a decorative chain running down in between them, she was sure to turn heads wherever she walked. Ichigo did not let himself get distracted, though- he was a teenager, sure enough, but in here it was life and death and only an idiot would stop to ogle. Quickly, he pulled his sword from its sheath. The shinigami did the same. Holding her sword low, she said,

"Ryoka, you are under arrest. Surrender."

"Can't do that, sorry," Ichigo mumbled, and debated whether to pull his shikai out immediately. On the one hand, high ranking shinigami were tough as nails and required quite a bit of effort to beat, depending on who they were, as Ikkaku had proven. On the other hand, using too much power could tire him out, and would draw a lot of attention a lot more quickly. Better to stay cautious for now, test the waters. Ichigo rifled through his memory- this had to be vice-captain Matsumoto Rangiku, whom he remembered Erza had said was... capable, although not keen on violence.

She nodded. "I thought so."

There were no grand speeches or bold statements this time, just a soldier clashing with another, fast and hard. Ichigo stood taller, his reiatsu standing taller still, but it was apparent that Matsumoto was no slouch, herself. She closed the distance, and Ichigo had to block a swift cut aimed at his neck. When he tried to counter-attack, she was ready, dodging completely and following up with a stab, which only narrowly missed his chest as he hopped back.

Her style was well practiced, it seemed, and unfamiliar to Ichigo. She was fast, fast enough, and Ichigo struggled. He kept up, yes, in this rapid-fire exchange of blows, but she was nimble on her feet, and whenever he thought he had an opening, she danced out of the way. Irritably, Ichigo grunted. Vice-captains...

"Bakudo four: Hainawa!" Matsumoto cried, and from her extended hand, a bright yellow rope extended, surging toward Ichigo and starting to wrap around him. The kido was weak, doing little more than distracting Ichigo, but that was enough. His guard was down, as he struggled to break the lengths of magically conjured rope, and he was forced to hop back- somewhat awkwardly, as it had gained some hold on one of his legs as well. Her eyes on the prize, Matsumoto sped forward, blade raised.

"Damn it all!" Ichigo growled. "Cut the heavens, Zangetsu!"

His reiatsu spiked as his sword grew, and through sheer physical effort he ripped through the bindings, his sword now having grown into its massive, black form. Sensing the rise in power, Matsumoto halted her charge and put distance between the two of them with one skilful shunpo. Taking a couple of deep breaths, Ichigo took a stance, holding out Zangetsu.

"Nothing for it, then," Matsumoto said with a shrug. Holding out her own zanpakutou, she said,  
"Growl, Haineko!"

The sword seemed to vanish, but Ichigo knew better than to take anything for granted. Looking carefully, he could sense it. He could _feel_ it. There was a cloud of grey dust having formed by the blade, and following its master's direction, it came at him. Haineko. Ash Cat. Whatever it could do, he wasn't sure, but he was not keen to find out. Quickly he tried to put some space between him and the oncoming cloud, but it smoothly followed his movements, closing the distance. It surrounded him, despite his dash, and suddenly there was a sharp jolt of pain as there was a cut across his chest. Rangiku had moved the hilt of her sword, apparently directing it.

"Everything in Haineko is a small blade," she explained. "It allows me to cut wherever I want, at my leisure."

"That sounds familiar!" Ichigo shot back, still trying to outrun it.

"Maybe," Matsumoto said, and made another cut across his shoulder.

"Damn it!" Ichigo snarled. Letting his reiatsu surge, he decided to counter-attack; there was no sense in letting himself be hit over and over while just trying and failing to run away. Raising his blade, he let power charge into its length, and brought it down.

"GETSUGA TENSHO!" He snarled, and the moon-shaped blade ran through the air, straight at Rangiku. Momentarily pausing her attack, Rangiku used a shunpo to move out of the way, and Ichigo grunted with frustration.

But then, to his surprise, the cloud of ash retracted, returning back toward the hilt of the zanpakutou.

"You said 'Getsuga Tensho' just now, didn't you?" She said, looking at him strangely.

"Yeah?" Ichigo said confusedly, grateful not to have to endure the ash anymore; it had been like being stuck in a sandstorm made of glass shards.

"And your blade is named 'Zangetsu'." She said flatly.

"Yeah?"

"...Kid, where did you learn that?"

She sounded honestly curious, curious and surprised, as if her interest had been piqued. Not letting his guard down, Ichigo said, "Um. I sort of learned it from my zanpakutou?"

She shook her head.

"There's no _way_ this is a coincidence."

"What is?" Ichigo said, more confused than ever.

"Just tell me one thing, okay?" Matsumoto demanded.

"Shoot," Ichigo said, quickly looking around him to check for shinigami reinforcements. Was this a trick?

"You don't happen to know a guy named Isshin?" She said. "Keeps a short beard sometimes? Likes to smoke sometimes? Makes corny jokes, acts like an idiot even though he isn't, lazes around and works only when he has to, brown hair and a happy-go-lucky attitude? Kind of a character?"

"...That's my dad." Ichigo said, feeling a sinking sensation as the realization hit. His dad _had_ been involved with the Gotei, he knew that already.

"Oh, that _son of a bitch!_" Matsumoto snarled, putting her palm to her forehead in exasperation. "We're putting this fight on hold, young man!" She said it in an impressively commanding tone, not unlike Ichigo's mother when she was putting her foot down, and as her sword sealed he realized that- luckily- they wouldn't be trying to kill each other. For the moment.

"Son of a bitch?" he said curiously.

"I _knew_ something was off!" Matsumoto said angrily. She sheathed her sword, seemingly so she could ball both fists at once. "That sneaky, stupid, irresponsible, careless, idiotic..."

At first Ichigo thought that eventually she'd run out of adjectives, but it seemed Matsumoto Rangiku was quite the poet when it came to insults.

"...thoughtless, moronic, backwards, brain-relieved, irresponsible- I said irresponsible already, didn't I? Shoot! That complete and utter bastard-"

"Um, er," Ichigo said, more puzzled than ever, "not to rain on your parade of... impressive insults, but uh... mind telling me what the hell is going on?"

"Oh." Matsumoto said, as if she had just registered he was there. "Well. Boy! You're in for a treat, oh yes you are."

"Okay..." Ichigo said, doubting the treat would be very enjoyable.

"Your dad is Shiba Isshin," Rangiku said, anger still boiling in her voice. "Listed as KIA. He was the head of the Shiba clan, and captain of tenth division. Meaning, you're actually inheritor to a noble clan. Congratulations, kid!"

"Um-" Ichigo tried, but she was not quite done.

"That complete _moron_ was in charge of my division back in the day. His zanpakutou was named 'Engetsu'. The Getsuga Tenshou was his signature move. Then, one day he vanishes in Karakura town under mysterious circumstances. Erza Scarlet- who I presume you're here with- reported him as killed in action. I always thought- I always _knew_ something felt off, but all this time he's what, been knocking up human women and... I mean, how is that even possible? How are YOU even possible?" She sounded both exasperated, baffled and angry all at once.

"Um." Ichigo tried. "I... don't know a whole lot. I know dad used to be involved with you people somehow, but he's got no powers now. My mom's a quincy. How I'm possible... actually, I'd rather not think about that part. Obviously I am, so..." He shrugged awkwardly. He felt a little shocked, his mind only starting to process this. His father, a captain? Nobility, of all things? And a deserter? This... would require some straightening out once he got home.

Frustratedly, Matsumoto pulled at her hair, grumbling. "That huge, big, enormous, gargantuan idiot..." She looked at Ichigo. "It was you that got Rukia's powers, wasn't it? That's way too big of a coincidence not to be."

"...Yes." Ichigo said. "Kind of an accident, but... yeah."

"And so you're here to rescue here," Matsumoto said, drawing a deep sigh. "Sure. That makes some level of sense."

"So... do we still fight?" Ichigo wondered. He had lowered his sword during her rant, but not let go of it quite yet.

She energetically shook her head. "No, no fighting. You're coming with me."

"You already tried to arrest me," Ichigo reminded her.

"No, you don't get it," Matsumoto said. "You've got noble blood. The Shibas aren't as big of a deal as they used to be, but you still have rights. You can negotiate."

"I... really?" Ichigo said. It could be a trick, but you'd have to be a hell of an actor to throw that kind of fit and then drop all that information. A peaceful solution hadn't occurred to him. Well... well, why not? At worst, it'd buy him a few moments of peace while he planned his next move.

"Yes, really!" Matsumoto snapped. "This changes _everything_, you stupid boy! I mean- sorry. It's your father I'm angry with. You're... all right, I suppose."

"Um... and I wouldn't be attacked?"

"Not while you stick with me." Matsumoto said. "Come on- we'll head to tenth. My captain is a big stick in the mud, but he'll hear you out."

"...All right then." Ichigo said quietly. He sealed his sword. It was worth a shot, at least.

* * *

Perhaps it was the all-encompassing chaos. Perhaps it was the fact that Erza was strong, fast, and experienced. Perhaps it was the fact that even after two decades, she knew most of the Gotei like the back of her hand. Perhaps it was all of these rolled up in a bundle. Whatever the reason, Erza was the first to reach the stairwell leading to the central holding cell of criminals awaiting judgement in the Gotei- the Senzaikyu, the great tower that suppressed power and left its inhabitants weak.

Ahead of her were two things. The first was the stairwell itself, and the veritable labyrinth of tall pillars surrounding it.

The second was a shinigami.

She had sensed him from afar, and easily at that. His reiatsu blazing with controlled rage, grown and developed since last she had felt it, but still as familiar as could be, Abarai Renji barred her path. As he came into vision, she slowed her run to a jog, which slowed to a walk, which slowed to a crawl.

She remembered her encounter with Izuru just hours earlier- the guilt she had felt, and the sheer, raw anger and frustration he had thrown her way. He had controlled his until she had beaten him, but Renji... she had felt his anger from four-hundred yards away. Determinedly, she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other, but it was still like wading through tar. Izuru had been her student. Renji... he and Momo both had been something more than that. Renji, she had cared for and guided when he was vulnerable, feeling lost, and she had taught him personally how to fight, how to look at the world.

Of course he was angry. It didn't matter that he had been duped, that she was in the right, because part of her still felt guilty as if she had really wantonly abandoned him.

Twenty yards now. She could see his face, twisted into a mask of grim rage, just barely controlled.

Ten yards. He pulled out his zanpakutou, and Erza stopped, looking him in the eye. She could see the hate, the fury, and something inside her wanted to cry.

"_Sensei._" Renji said.

"Renji." She said back.

"Is that all you've got to say for yourself?" Renji snarled. "No speeches about how wrong I am? No justifications for what you've done? Not even an excuse?"

Erza shook her head. "Renji, I do not want to hurt you..."

"I know what you did earlier," He said bluntly. "Beat Izuru senseless with your fists alone. You got stronger. I don't expect I can win."

"Then why are you here?" Erza said, grateful to have something else, anything at all, to talk about.

"Because somebody once taught me that you do the right thing no matter what. Even if the odds of success are at the far end of a googol, even if you can't win, you stand up and fight. My captain's not here to stop you. I'll just have to do."

"Even if you die?"

"Cut my head off, and another will take my place," Renji spat. "Maybe you were lying when you told it to me, maybe you weren't, but the spirit of loyalty to your own is real, and worth dying for."

He really had grown, not just in power but into a man, into a leader. The Renji she had left behind was young, inexperienced, hot-headed and cocky. The Renji who stood before her now was principled, strong, and though he was the same old Renji, he also was not, in a very fundamental way.

"I'm proud of you," she said.

"I'm disgusted," he said.

Something inside Erza broke. Her old student, that young man who had once been lost and guided by her... she could not bear to fight him. She had come back to the Soul Society knowing on some level that she might have to, but here in the moment, she couldn't. Because he was still Renji. Because she still loved him just as much as she loved all her friends. Clenching her fists, she took a step forward.

"Howl, Zabimaru," Renji said, and ran his free hand down the length of the blade. The zanpakutou changed shape, familiar enough, and he raised it up in a combat-ready stance. Erza took another step.

"Draw your damn sword!" he growled.

Erza took another step.

"Draw your sword and fight!" he cried out, his anger starting to spill over. "Show at least that much goddamned respect!"

Erza took another step.

"I won't hold back!" he shouted. "I'll kill you, traitor!"

Erza took another step. She was almost within striking distance now.

"Damn it all!" Renji cried, and raised his sword. With a powerful strike, he cut up and down, at her shoulder. Just as it impacted, she let her reiatsu surge, but she did nothing else, standing perfectly still. Zabimaru hit clean into her right shoulder, just beside her neck. She felt a sharp jolt of pain as one of its spikes buried itself in her flesh, and she grit her teeth.

But, as a little blood seeped from her shoulder, there was no next strike. Renji seemed paralysed, holding on to the hilt of his zanpakutou as if in a cramp, staring into her eyes with a mixture of rage, surprise, and a look as if he'd seen something incomprehensible.

"What the hell..." he said, his eyes wide. "Fight... back, damn it!"

Gingerly, Erza grabbed Zabimaru's blade with one hand, and lifted it off her shoulder, wincing a little as the spike exited. She dropped it, and Renji let it fall to the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?" he said, sounding just confused.

Erza looked at him, and then her expression hardened as she raised her hand and landed a solid slap across his face. It was hard enough to send him reeling back, but Erza did not follow it up with another attack. As he recovered, sword raised, she cried out,

"Abarai Renji, what in the world do you think you're doing?!"

"You're an enemy!" he cried out, his fighting spirit interrupted, sounding more befuddled than battle-ready. "This is what I'm supposed to do-"

"What in the hell went wrong with you, that you attack somebody who isn't even using a weapon? Without even trying to arrest them first? Did I teach you to be a murderer, Abarai Renji?!"  
Erza spoke from the heart, but it was very much a strategy. She did not want to fight him. She wanted him to remember Erza, the teacher, speaking to him with authority. For now, it seemed to be working.

"You- you betrayed us!" Renji snapped. "You betrayed all of us, and, and, and you left us behind! Do you have any idea what we went through?"

A tear found its way down Erza's cheek, followed by another within seconds. "Do you think I would do that if I didn't have a reason?" She shouted the words, loud and angry, her voice booming across the empty space. "Do you really think I'd leave you, my beloved students and friends, behind like this if there _wasn't a good reason to do it?_ Have you forgotten everything I was to you? Because I sure as hell have not!"

"But- but they were lies!" Renji shouted back. "There was evidence!"

"Renji!" Erza said, putting a firm hand on his shoulder and squeezing it, "look me in the eye and tell me you believe it. Do you?!"

"I..." Renji said, wavering. "What the hell am I supposed to believe, huh? You were gone for twenty years, and..."

"Your head is all screwed up," Erza said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I'm right here, right now, and I came to rescue Rukia. Your best and oldest friend! Why the hell aren't you trying to do the same?"

"Rukia!" He was almost breathless as he said it, and Erza knew her comment had hit home. "You can't be serious..."

"Yes, Rukia!" Erza snapped. "Somebody has to do something. It _should_ be you, but it isn't."

"But it's the law! She- she was sentenced to death..."

Erza looked Renji firmly in the eye. "Renji," she said, "I am going to keep going now. I am going to move forward, get to the Senzaikyu, and get her out. She'd do it for me. I'm going to go, and my back is going to be turned. You're free to cut me down from behind. I won't stop you. I'm sure you can find some crack in my armour. But if you're the man I think you are, you'll fall in right next to me, because we want the same thing! And if you're not..." She shrugged.

"You'd die." Renji said.

Erza just gave him a look, then wiped her tears quickly. She stepped beside him and took one step, followed by another. She held her breath as she started walking. Would he? Surely not...  
But one never knew. Going by one's instincts was, she knew, not always the wisest thing, but her heart told her it was the way to go.

Then, to her relief, Renji jogged past her, his sword sealed and sheathed, and put himself in her path. His voice calmed- relatively speaking- he put both hands on her shoulders, and said, "You've got some explaining to do. If I'm going to turn my back on the Gotei, I need at least that much."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "All right..." she muttered. _Not the whole truth. Too complicated, and it would take too long._ "In a nutshell?"

"Sure," he said and nodded.

"I'm not innocent in all this," Erza said, and took a deep breath, "but I'm not guilty like they say, either. There's a conspiracy going on in the Gotei, and Rukia has somehow ended up in the middle of it. Three captains are traitors, Renji, and the man leading them is..." She hesitated. Could she tell him?

"Who?"

"You won't believe it."

"Try me." Renji said firmly. "'Cause I ain't going another step till I know."

"The man who leads the conspiracy, to overthrow the Gotei and create a new order, the man who conspires with hollows and plans to end the world as we know it... is Aizen Sousuke."

Renji flinched. "You kidding me? That guy is-"

"A total boy scout," Erza said and nodded. "Nobody would ever suspect him of anything. He took great pains to make sure of that."

"But... how do you know?"

Again, Erza took a deep breath. "I was one of his lackeys," she said simply. "Didn't understand what I signed up for. When I did, I wanted out, and the next thing I know I'm being arrested for treason. I... the Gotei must change, Renji. Fundamentally. But not his way. Not with murder and tyranny. I'm a defector, but I did not leave you all behind as a betrayer."

"This... makes no sense," Renji mumbled. "Fuck me..."

"Focus." Erza said. "We're rescuing Rukia, remember?"

"Yeah... sure," he said, seeming to take comfort in that one, simple point. "Rukia. I... I can't say I believe any of this. But, um... it's like you said. We want the same thing."

Erza nodded. "We do. For now, I need you to head over and find the ryoka. They need a helping hand. Look for Ichigo- bright kid, a bit cocky and hot-headed like you. Shinigami robes, and a mop of red hair. You won't miss him."

"Hang on," Renji protested. "Aren't we supposed to... I dunno, rescue Rukia?"

"I'll handle that," Erza said. "We have a plan. Right now, you're more useful from the inside."

"But..."

"Renji, what you have to ask yourself is: do you trust me?" she said, sternly looking him in the eye.

"Fuck..." Renji muttered. "Y'know, every logical part of my brain tells me not to. It's insane. Don't make sense. But..." He shook his head, and exasperatedly threw his hands up in the air. "I do. Somehow. It doesn't make sense, but I do."

Erza nodded. "Then, go. We'll get Rukia out, and..."

"Then what?"

"Haven't figured that part out yet." Erza admitted. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Renji grinned, despite himself. "You haven't changed much, have ya?"

"Not enough, no," Erza said with a smile. "Go on. We've wasted enough time."

"...Okay." Renji said hesitantly. "Damn it all..."

The two of them looked at each other one final time, then parted ways, Renji heading back toward the divisions, and Erza into the heart of the Gotei itself. The Senzaikyu was waiting for her.

* * *

Aizen had a natural affinity for the cerebral, in much the same way a fish had a natural affinity for swimming. To plan, scheme and control was where he excelled. It was for this exact reason that he enjoyed the occasional hands-on task; to work with his hands was a strong reminder that power was multifaceted, that although knowledge was power, so was strength, ingenuity, state of mind, and how one chose to apply it.

At this particular moment, his attention was focused on a corpse doll. In the morning he would 'die', ruthlessly slain by evil ryoka, and it would only further the chaos of the Gotei and free his hands to focus entirely on steering the events of the coming day exactly where he needed them to go.

The doll was not just an abstract reminder of the nature of power, but a specific reminder of the limits of his zanpakutou. He could create perfect illusions over time, but maintaining them would be taxing, particularly if they were far away and well out of his sight. His 'corpse' would be subject to close scrutiny. Unohana Retsu herself, the Gotei's foremost medical expert, would likely be called upon to conduct an autopsy. Mere illusion would make it crack at the seams once she touched the 'corpse' only to realize that however much her eyes told her there was a dead body on her table, however much her sense of touch told her there was dead flesh there, something would seem... off.  
It had been an enjoyable challenge, knowing this, to create an appropriate substitute. It had taken him well over a year to grow it, using a solution of reishi-rich proteins to create a rubbery mass, whose spiritual signature was identical to his own. It would behave like a shinigami's body when cut. There would be bodily fluids flowing when it was sliced open. It was not a perfect copy of a shinigami body- although that would have been a fascinating project- but it was more than enough for his illusion to do the work it needed to.

His eyes narrowed, he lay out the finishing touches, like a sculptor chipping away the smallest details of a statue. It was gruelling work, but Aizen enjoyed it- to craft something perfectly into small detail was his forte, after all.

His mind wandered as he let his scalpel shape the doll much like a potter moulding his clay. Events had, naturally, played out exactly as he had expected them to. Erza and her crew had gotten inside, and because of the zealous adherence to outdated military doctrines, which made the divisions resemble feudal fiefdoms more than a unified military complex, they had come quite far inside. They had proven surprisingly adept at dealing with even highly ranked officers, but then again, they had come alongside _her_... and she was remarkable, after all. Through strength, and the incompetence of their enemies, her group had done well.

Naturally, it would all be for naught. If the Gotei's own failed- and he doubted even they were _that_ incompetent- then he had contingencies in place. They would not take Rukia. If they did, if the worst came to pass, he would simply have her killed and extract the device manually.

It amused him. To see the Gotei, in its bloated arrogance, be taken down a peg was a pleasing thing in and of itself, but to think that the shock that would come mere days from then would make this brazen invasion seem like nothing, that thought made Aizen almost want to hum with cheer. They were backward, as prideful as they were ignorant, and before long they would reap what they had sown.

Of course, there was little Momo. He had felt her outburst earlier quite keenly, and it had surprised and even impressed him, in a small way. He had paid a little attention to her low-key studies in the Rukongai, even going so far as to shield her from prying eyes, chiefly because seeking new knowledge in the face of an obstructive establishment was an admirable idea. It was petty magic, certainly, but it had felt less petty than he expected. She had come far indeed, working hard to achieve power...

As blinded and weak as she was, he found it amusingly admirable. She sought rebellion, much like he did, and had gone against the rules, much like he had, and she was prepared to throw it all away for something that mattered enough. She was like an adorable little caricature of himself.

But most of all, Erza had intrigued him. She had not truly been tested yet, and he looked forward to seeing that- in fact, if there was time, he decided he would see it for himself. She had bankai, he knew, and as hard a worker as she was, with twenty years in exile... she should be something worth seeing, at least. How would she fare against the elegance, grace and skill of Kuchiki Byakuya? Or the lethal speed of Soifon, the chief assassin? Or the raw, intimidating might of a berserker like Zaraki Kenpachi?

Aizen was cerebrally attuned, but the martial was a fascinating subject as well. She had a remarkable talent for making friends, too- already, two vice-captains were ready to defect to her side: Momo and Renji.

If she had power close to his own, she would be a rival he would have to crush without fail. Beneath him as she was, she looked quite like a well-meaning, delusional mirror of himself: intent on challenging the corrupt status quo, to take on the giants, give everything a good shake and make a difference. It was impractical and impossible, but an interesting reminder of the importance of everything that made him superior. Intelligence. Wisdom. Planning. Strength. Foresight. Knowledge.

The Gotei would know why they mattered soon enough, and so would she.

* * *

At fifth, Momo was dealing with some considerable angst. Her first instinct had been to run away, immediately and with speed, to find Erza. Logic had prevailed, however, as had a sense of duty. Logically, it made no sense to just run away without any clue of where she was, without a plan, no matter how much Momo wanted to. More importantly, Momo still had a job to do. Her captain had returned, but he had promptly shut himself in his office after a quick overview of the situation, no doubt doing some very important work, leaving the practicalities to Momo. He had praised her efforts, which would have made Momo's heart soar if it hadn't been for... well, her life's dream having come true.

She wanted to go to Erza and never leave. But she couldn't just leave her soldiers behind, alone and unguided. She had a duty, and although Momo was fully ready to cast aside the Gotei if she had to, she couldn't just leave them leaderless at a chaotic time like this. Erza wouldn't have done that.

So, she had tried, and almost succeeded, to bury herself in enough work that she would forget about it. It wasn't as if there was nothing to do- the chaos her powers had wrought on the division premises had meant some emergency stabilising efforts, a head count, a redistribution of space to account for the purpose the destroyed buildings had served- which at this point resulted in half the division sharing bunks with the half that hadn't had theirs wrecked- and an inventory of what had been lost and what hadn't, not to mention constant military alert, transfer of the imprisoned ryoka to the second division's arrest...

There had been a thousand and one things to occupy her mind, and Momo had done her very best. But as hard as she had worked, try as she might, the massive impact of the news she had received would not leave. Now a little less overwhelmed with joy, she wondered at Captain Kyoraku's words. They had been strange, oddly specific, and though Momo was no politician, she wasn't unable to read between lines. He had to have known what impact such news would have on her. Think carefully on what you do next, _vice-captain..._

It wasn't exactly a secret, how Momo felt about Erza. After the first few years, she had kept a lid on it, keeping all of it as low-key as she could, but all of her friends- which included quite a few vice-captains- knew. For all she knew, so did all the captains as well. But it had been he who came there, and he'd told her to be careful. Not to remember her place as a loyal soldier, or to frighten her with what happened to traitors, but to be... careful.

What did that mean? Was he... was he a potential ally? Did he believe like she did? The thought was almost impossible; Kyoraku Shunsui was one of Yamamoto's own pupils, and the more powerful one of the two at that. Then again, he was also the more quote-unquote rebellious one of the two.  
What if it was a lure? A trick? No... That, too, seemed odd. That sort of entrapment could perhaps be expected from the stealth corps, but it was not Captain Kyoraku's style.

Momo shook her head. No sense in getting stuck on this. She would be careful, but no matter what, she would act. She would not let this slip. She would have eyes on her, she realized, and if she got caught, she would be imprisoned. If she was tried for treason, she might well be executed. The thought frightened her, but did nothing to phase her determination. Some things were worth dying for.

Tomorrow, she decided. It was already well into the afternoon, the night looming over them, and as far as she could tell, nobody except her had yet managed to detain a ryoka, let alone Erza herself. She would last the night. Then, in the morning, she would find an excuse to join the hunt, and then work from there. It was not the most complicated or best laid of plans, but it was as good a start as she would get.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, when the captain had taken active command again, when things had settled down a bit, Momo would start her own search. She would find Erza, and then...

...Then, she'd figure out what to do next.

Momo was a very dedicated learner, and a capable leader, but she was not much of a schemer.

* * *

**Well, I dont think any of you saw some of that coming. We figured that we could do a bit more with Soifons problem with Yoruichi, so we've decided to bring that forward sooner than later. I know that in the canon version Soifon learned shunko herself, but we're taking some creative liberty's here.**

**In particular however, i was really looking forward to Ichigo vs Rangiku. She's not just a very attractive woman, Rangiku is a very powerful vice captain and i figured she would make for a good fight for Ichigo, since until the final arc, Ichigo has never really, truly fought a female enemy. **

**However, the REAL reason behind it was to have her assist in all this. After seeing Isshin use the Gestuga tenshou ive always found it so weird that NONE of the other soul reapers even question Ichigo having the same move. That's...like, REALLY suspicious. So Rangiku, being Isshins Vice captian, would know about The Getsuga tenshou more than anyone else. She would question it. **

**The result is her helping him out. The fact is, Ichigo is part of a noble family. In canon, nothing was really done with it. Here though? I say why not. Now dont worry, im not going to go nuts and make him the leader or some shit. He's still in high school, and he still has a life to live...I just figured it would be best to do SOMETHING with it. If not for the fact Aizen was behind all of this, Rangiku's idea COULD work.**

**Finally, we have Renji. We've planned this from the very beginning. Out off all of Erza's friends and students, the ones she's had the closes relationships too were Momo and Renji. Momo never lost faith. Renji did yes...but it took years for that to happen. He's always WANTED to believe in her, and now that shes here to explain things, and save Rukia (And lets be honest, her getting executed is NOT normal) it makes perfect sense for him to go over to her side.**

**I really hope these are decisions that you enjoy. Its very risky to change things up like this i realize, but id rather be different and unique than just do the same thing as canon. **

**Please, do tell us what you think in our reviews. Im very curious to know if you all like the changes and additions we've made to this arc. More are to follow, i assure you.**


	40. Expect The Unexpected 2

**You guys are going to be in for a treat for this one. You'll see why when you read it. Id rather not give too much away. I do hope to get some feedback on this one though. So please, feel free to leave your reviews and give us your honest opinions. It really does help us improve and move forward.**

**Now, before we get onto the disclaimer, here is some breif words from Greatkingrat88.**

**"****I'd like to formally welcome jcampbellohten to our writing team, as he is providing us with the valuable service of beta reading. Much obliged, man."**

**Much thanks from me as well. Im so relieved to know that our grammatical errors will be significantly less now. But enough with that, onto the story!**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

Unlike Kuchiki Byakuya, Soifon had a natural affinity for discipline and self-control. It had been beaten into her, figuratively and literally, since she was old enough to walk. Since way back when she had been Fon Shaolin, born into servitude, she had learned to control herself.

She was, strictly speaking, nobility, but a very specific kind of nobility, one sworn to exist only to serve another family- the Shihoin. That was the purpose she had been raised for, along with her brothers, and nothing else. She had been good at it, too. A few harsh corrections and beatings had turned that small girl into a well-behaved servant, one who knew to keep quiet unless specifically asked to speak up, to adjust to the wants and needs of her masters, and of course to die for them if necessary.

She had been good. She had obeyed, had always struggled the hardest she could to be the best servant she could be. She had taken to her martial arts lessons better than anything, and it had pleased her father enough for him to recommend her for military service. By the time she was fifteen, she had joined her brothers in the corps as an agent. She had taken her grandmother's code name, and Fon Shaolin had stopped existing; as was tradition for those in her family who joined the corps, she had become her code name.

Then she had been assigned to be the bodyguard of Shihoin Yoruichi. It was a great honour to be named for that position; at the time Yoruichi had been the commander of the stealth corps and recently made head of the clan itself. Logically, Soifon had known that it was a little ridiculous that she should guard the beautiful, graceful Lady Shihoin, who was a million times more capable than Soifon ever would be. However, Soifon was a tool to be used, and questioning orders was out of the question. At that young age, she would gladly have fallen on her sword if she had been commanded to.

Then, The Right and Honourable Lady Shihoin had turned out to be as radically different from regular nobility as was possible. Soifon was accustomed to traditional nobility, always arrogant, always prideful, always assured of their superiority. Always ready to snap at the smallest perceived slight, to defend their pride at any opportunity.

Her Lady had been... different. She'd laughed where other nobles kept a staunch, dignified face. She'd been open and cheerful, and had had a complete disregard for the dignity and respect that accompanied her station. She would tease the Kuchiki heir for a laugh, just to see him lose his temper. She would spring cruel little games of hide-and-seek on Soifon, whose duty was to be at her side at all times- games that, Soifon had come to realize, were actually quite good training exercises, sharpening the young bodyguard's skill set further. Her Lady had been eccentric, marvellous, intelligent, lackadaisical yet still an ideal commander, and altogether wonderful.

Soifon had come to love her. No... 'love' was too simple a word. It had been complete devotion. It had been to serve the greatest possible master imaginable, in itself a complete fulfilment of purpose. Not only that, a master who cared about her, who took the time to teach her, make her grow personally, make her grow stronger and faster. To Soifon, of course, that only meant growing stronger to protect her better.

They had sparred and trained. They had had silly little indulgences, like sharing candies, taking baths in the Shihoin manor's pond, or staring up at the stars afterwards. Soifon had understood very little of this, still thinking of herself only as a tool, but it had been the happiest time of her life. She had loved her master, she had loved serving her, she had loved growing and being cultivated by her, and she had even loved the silly little things she didn't quite understand. It had been a complete fulfilment of existence. Had she died, she would have died happy.

Then, it had happened. One day, she was... gone. Soifon still remembered it keenly. She had found her Lady's chamber empty, and had desperately searched for her for two days straight until her father had finally found her and told her the truth. For the first time in her life, Soifon had defied him, and angrily told him there was _no way_ her Lady would ever betray the Gotei Thirteen. She had denied it vigorously until she had gotten a slap across the face, and been shown evidence that, beyond a doubt, The Right and Honourable Lady Shihoin had defected to save the life of a traitorous madman.

There had been interrogations, but Soifon did not even remember them. Evidently, it had been found that she was not complicit in the defection, or she would have been executed.  
There was no describing the pain she had felt when the truth started to sink in, because almost nobody outside a servant clan knew what it meant to live entirely for somebody else. To lose an arm was the most apt comparison, but at the time, Soifon could have had every limb severed and it would have seemed petty by comparison. She had lost her reason for living. She had lost her purpose for existence. She had lost the most wonderful person in the world.

Somehow, she had gotten through it. She still didn't know how. It had been despair of a kind she had never been able to imagine. She had considered suicide multiple times, and only the core of her existence- servitude to the Shihoin clan- had stopped her.

Sometime around then, she had lost her faith in the absolute supremacy of the noble classes. Her Lady had been the greatest of them all, and if the greatest of the great was capable of treason, then so was anybody else.

Hate had festered in her. Anger. Resentment. And at the end of it all, determination.

Because at some point, she had been forced to face reality, and reality was that she had to be her own person, without another to define her. It had been an unpleasant realization, like falling into an ice-cold lake, but she had risen to the challenge. She had resolved that she would be what her old master could not; a true and dedicated servant of the Gotei, one who put duty, service, professionalism, and work before anything else.

It had worked. Through feverishly hard work, through taking the most dangerous missions and constantly completing them, even though her teammates died again and again, she had risen through the ranks. She had shown herself to be just as adept at office politics and strategic decisions as she was at fighting. Soifon had risen like a star, and within twenty years she had replaced the commander of the stealth corps, a man beleaguered by the failure of his predecessor. She had raised a zanpakutou, and through hard work and dedication had gained its bankai. She had been named captain, one of the single most powerful figures in the Gotei.

In the process, she had deposed the Shihoin. Their greatest strength had been their involvement in the stealth corps, but Soifon had steadily taken it from them. That power could only belong to the Gotei itself, not some corruptible noble clan. Now she was singularly powerful, alone and devoted.

She had always told herself that when the day came, she would kill Shihoin Yoruichi- not because of a grudge, but because it was the right thing to do, because traitors deserved only death.

Soifon had always prided herself on her professionalism and self-control.

That was why now, sitting cross-legged in her office and attempting to meditate, she felt an all-consuming anger unlike anything she had felt in decades. She had been checked up by the fourth division, and even in the broken-down state she had been in, she did not dare defy their captain. Her own vice-captain had been knocked out, presumably by Yoruichi. Normally, she would have chastised him for his failure, but she had found herself unable to care. The moment she was released from medical care, she had raced back to the second division and locked herself in her room.

She had lost control. All her hard work, over a century's worth of dedication, had been for nothing. She had lost control, she realised, the moment she used her shikai. She remembered the feelings as if they were right there in the moment. Anger. Rage. Gleeful anticipation. It was as far removed from impartial justice as could possibly be.

In the end, she had been solidly beaten. Logically speaking, it wasn't too strange. Yoruichi had been her mentor, and powerful at that. She had to have known Soifon's fighting style well enough that her seniority would give her the advantage.

Losing was humiliating, but not nearly as much as having lost her temper, not nearly as much as breaking down and crying. It was as if, in that moment, that century of hard work had been stripped away, and she had been that hurt young girl again, just longing for her Lady...

Soifon clenched her fists, feeling her nails dig into her palms. The pain was a welcome distraction, and allowed her some measure of clarity.

She was justice. She was the law. She was the head of the Gotei's police force. Nobody but she should take on a traitor of this magnitude. Yet, she had failed in every regard.

Somewhere in her mind, the thought reared: Yoruichi had not acted like a traitor. She had been... apologetic. Although she was capable of expert manipulation, it was unlike her. She had always been one of the most honest people Soifon had ever known, open and kind...

_No!_ That was fanciful fantasy, nothing more! Weakness! She was a traitor, always would be, and Soifon could not let herself be distracted. Yoruichi had to… die. Somehow. Maybe with bankai, the next time...

Even now, Soifon could feel more tears just behind her eyes, but none flowed. She was nothing if not disciplined.

* * *

After all the running he had done that day, all the fighting, stress, and adrenaline, walking calmly through the streets of the Gotei was a bizarre change of pace to Ichigo. Not a single soul questioned his presence now, Matsumoto Rangiku's status as a vice-captain apparently being enough to deter any questions.

"So..." he said, "what, er, what's the Shiba family like?" He was genuinely curious. The thought of having relatives here in the afterlife, a noble clan no less, was something he had never expected.

"You really want to know, huh?" Rangiku said. "I guess it's only natural you'd ask."

Ichigo nodded. "So...?"

She sighed. "You can't understand the Shiba without understanding the rest of Gotei nobility first."

"Give me the crash course, then," Ichigo said, undeterred.

"What do you think they're like, kid?" Rangiku said. "You have nobs where you're from, too, right?"

"Sort of, yeah," Ichigo replied. "Not like we used to, though. It's... we mostly see that in movies, books, and stuff."

"Well, they're proud," Rangiku said, sighing. "Privileged, proud, and arrogant. They're rich, and a lot of them are part of our military. They're proud and superior because if they aren't, other nobles will think they're weak. To them, it's all about status. The more power you have, the further back your clan's history runs, the higher your status."

"Sounds wonderful," Ichigo mumbled, dismayed at the thought of being related to some snobbish socialite.

"I'm not done," Rangiku said. "They're proud. Privileged. If a commoner goes up in court against a noble, the noble basically always wins- unless the commoner a high-ranking shinigami. They're all about formality, politics, status..."

"Not making it sound better," Ichigo muttered.

"..._but_ they're not all the same," Rangiku said firmly. "The Shiba, for example, they fly in the face of all that. Don't give a rat's posterior about playing by the rules or throwing their weight around."

"That's better," Ichigo said, feeling uplifted.

"Mind you, they're not what they used to be," Rangiku said soberly. "Status is a thing that can wax and wane, and your family is definitely on the wane. They lost your dad, and he was a captain, which is incredible status. They lost your late cousin, too, and he was a vice-captain. Right now, they're a pretty minor house."

Ichigo nodded. "Small house. Ain't what they used to be. Everyone's an asshole except them. Got it."

"Not... everyone," Rangiku said hesitantly. "Some are different. Like Captain Kyoraku, for example. He's a nobleman, and he acts more like a bar drunk than a nobleman, and nobody would dare criticise him for it because he's one of Captain-Commander Yamamoto's prized students. Then there's Captain Kuchiki..."

"That man nearly killed my mother," Ichigo said flatly.

"Whoops," Rangiku said. "Best not to tell you about how he's harsh but fair, and also rather handsome, then?"

"Best not," Ichigo agreed.

"Look," Rangiku said curiously, "you came here with Erza, didn't you?"

Ichigo shrugged and said, "It's not a secret."

"What... what's her relationship to you? Actually, screw that, what's... what's been up with her all these years?"

Something for something, Ichigo reckoned. She had told him about the nobility. He'd just have to not give out too much.

"She was there for me since I was a kid," he said simply. "She's been teaching me how to fight. I don't really know what her history here is, but-"

He was interrupted before he could continue, as a tall, red-haired man came running at them, sliding to a halt before them. Reflexively, Ichigo reached for his sword, but Rangiku put an arm on his weapon arm.

"Renji," she said, "what are you doing here?"

"I, er," Renji said, and Ichigo got a closer look at him. Bright red hair, and a vice-captain's badge...

"Well?" Rangiku demanded.

"Um. Sensed a ryoka. Here he is," the vice-captain said tamely. "Ichigo, right?"

"How'd you know?" Ichigo said.

"Yes, how?" Rangiku said.

"That... is a bit of a story," Renji said awkwardly.

"Wait..." Ichigo said, taking a closer look at him. "Are you, like, her long lost brother or something?"

Renji shook his head. "Uh, what?"

"Erza," Ichigo insisted. "You know her, don't you?"

"No. Um, well, sort of. Not really. Yes," Renji said awkwardly.

"She taught him," Rangiku explained. "No relation, though."

"So... you found him," Renji said.

"Uh-huh," Rangiku confirmed. "We're heading over to tenth to see if we can negotiate something."

"That- that's good," Renji said, nodding. "I'll come with."

"If you want," Rangiku said, shrugging.

The three of them had just turned forward, heading toward tenth, when they felt it. To the two vice-captains, it was as familiar as it was terrifying. To Ichigo, it was just terrifying.

He felt it coming closer: a madly powerful energy source, intimidating and fierce, wild and unrestrained, laced with so much menace that only a hollow's energy came across his mind as comparable.

Around the corner came an insanely tall man, with an appearance as wild as his energy. He was nearly two meters tall, and his black hair stood out in spikes. He wore the _haori_ of a captain, but its ends were torn. He carried a huge sword, but its edge was chipped and jagged, so unlike the sleek, streamlined appearance of a normal zanpakutou. An eyepatch covered his right eye, and he grinned, lazily resting his sword over his shoulder.

"Found ya," he said.

"Captain Zaraki..." Rangiku breathed the words, as if the air had emptied from her lungs.

Zaraki Kenpachi. The demon. The man his aunt Erza hated and had cited as one of the most dangerous people in all of the Gotei. Ichigo took a deep breath, and somehow managed not to start shaking.

"Lucky me," Kenpachi said, staring them down like a titan ready to pluck his victims. "Here I am, followin' all this chaos, and I just run across the one I was lookin' for. Didn't I tell ya it made sense to go lookin' close to the centre?"

"You sure did, Ken-chan!" said a cheery voice. At the giant's shoulder was a bizarrely contrasting little girl, one Ichigo hadn't noticed till now. She looked to be about eight, and had bright pink hair.

"Exactly," Kenpachi said. He ran his tongue across his teeth, as if anticipating a particularly juicy treat. "Young kid. Hair like it's on fire. Way strong. Taught by Erza herself."

"H-how would you know?" Ichigo stuttered.

"Ikkaku told me, dumbass," the giant said, as if it were obvious. "You wouldn'ta been any fun if you couldn't knock him down, anyhow."

"Captain Zaraki," Rangiku said, taking a step forward, visibly trembling, "this man is in the custody of tenth division. He has come in peacefully. Do not attempt to meddle with that which belongs to another division-"

He shot her a glance, as if he were looking at an ant, and said, "Ya really gonna get in my way, tenth?"

She looked terrified, and Kenpachi, ignoring her, stepped past her.

Renji swore under his breath, then pulled out his sword, barring Kenpachi's way.

"Finally got the balls to try something, kid?" Kenpachi said, sounding amused. "I'm happy to take ya both at once."

"Captain, if you assault the prisoner, you will have violated the law," Renji said firmly, although it was clear he, too, was terrified. "You know I cannot allow that."

"Fuck the law," Kenpachi said dismissively. "I remember you when you was in eleventh. You had a spine then, but then you go and work for that prissy shit Byakuya. If you want to stop me, then be a man and fight me."

"Shit!" Renji snapped. "You guys, you can't get into a fight with him. He's- he's monstrously powerful!"

Ichigo quickly took a few steps back, Renji and Rangiku joining him, the three facing the monster in front of them.

"Fuck me..." Ichigo muttered, feeling terrified. "Erza told me he was, um, your strongest fighter. The most ruthless too."

"Not just that, kid," Renji said, a bead of sweat trailing down his forehead, "he's also so strong that he intentionally limits himself. That eyepatch? He ain't even blind on that eye. It's just there to absorb energy so he isn't on full blast."

"Fuck _me,_" Ichigo said, paling.

"You know, the smart thing to do would be to run," Rangiku mumbled. "No way can we take him."

"Yup," Renji said, and nodded affirmatively. "Not a chance."

"Look, guys, he only wants me," Ichigo said, not quite believing the words coming out of his own mouth, "so just... save yourselves, okay? You don't have to stick your necks out for me."

"Like hell," Renji said flatly. "No matter what, you stand up and fight, even if you can't win. Didn't she teach you that?"

Ichigo felt a little moved. Renji might not have been Erza's flesh and blood, but his tone, his readiness to fight and even die, his refusal to back down... it made Ichigo feel like Erza was right there.

He really hoped that the vice-captain was strong enough to back up his words.

"Oh, screw it..." Rangiku said exasperatedly. "If I die, I'm coming back to haunt you."

"Quit yammering, you three," Kenpachi said loudly. "This is a fight, not a tea party."

Ichigo made ready, as did his two companions, but Kenpachi did not move just yet. Calmly, he grabbed his coat and shirt and pulled the two open, revealing his muscular, scarred chest, halfway covered in white wrappings.

"I'll give ya one free hit. Keep things fair," he said with a grin that would have made a bull shark green with envy.

"I-is this some trick?" Ichigo muttered.

"Oh, no," Renji said. "He's a demon all right, but he's as straightforward as they come. Anything that makes a fight last longer, he'll do."

Ichigo gripped his Zangetsu tightly, holding it at the ready. Quickly, he looked around, to get a better view of his surroundings. They were in division territory, white walls everywhere, with barracks and storehouses surrounding them.

Screw it.

Letting out a loud cry, Ichigo surged forward, hitting hard and hitting true at Kenpachi's chest, up and down.

There was a very dissatisfying thud as Zangetsu impacted with the man's chest, the sword futilely pushing against his skin without so much as a blemish. A small stream of blood ran from Ichigo's hands; he had swung hard enough to tear the skin on his hands from the impact, and it still had done nothing.

"I ain't no expert on energy, but I know this," Kenpachi said, looking down on Ichigo, who was just shy of soiling his breeches at this point, "you couldn't even break my skin, punk. That means the reiatsu I emit without even tryin' is bigger than what you put out when you try your hardest."

Horrified, Ichigo reeled back.

"Try an' make it a good one, kid," Kenpachi said. "There's three of ya, so you should be able to do _somethin'_, at least."

"Go, Ken-chan!" said the pink little girl. She hopped off his shoulder, quickly getting to the sidelines. "Kick their butts!"

Kenpachi brought his sword down, fast and furious, and Ichigo was just barely saved by Rangiku, who had moved with her best shunpo, knocking him over. In front of him, the ground crumbled under Kenpachi's blow, and Renji stepped forward, his shikai already activated.

"Growl, Haineko!" Rangiku cried, quickly pulling Ichigo to his feet.

"Cut the heavens, Zangetsu!" Ichigo cried, collecting himself. The two zanpakutou activated, both changing their forms.

"'Atta boy," Kenpachi said.

"Listen, you two!" Rangiku snapped. "Keep him busy, and I'll prepare the strongest binding spell I know!"

"Got it!" Renji shot back. "Go low, kid, and I'll go high!"

"Yes, yes!" Kenpachi cried, stepping forward. "Give it your all!"

He brought his sword down, Renji parrying it just barely, and Ichigo could see him strain under the pressure. Not one to waste the opportunity, Ichigo ran toward the giant, his Zangetsu cutting at the man's shins. With surprising agility and speed, Kenpachi kicked Renji in the chest and took a quick step back, followed by a vicious sweeping slash at Ichigo.

Ichigo parried the blow, but his arms shook as it glanced off, and it felt almost like they would pop out of their sockets. He was not given another second to rest, as the ferocious demon of a man rained down one, two, three blows. There was no form to it, none that Ichigo recognized, no school of swordsmanship that applied, but it was clear Kenpachi knew how to wield it with deadly precision.

"Zabimaru!" Renji roared out, and the zanpakutou's metal whip lashed out, its spiked head narrowly being blocked by Kenpachi's own sword. Ichigo jumped forward, cutting at the captain as hard and fast as he could, but Kenpachi was not taken off guard. It seemed downright _unfair_ that somebody that large and scary could be that fast, but he seemed to barely break a sweat as Renji and Ichigo launched into a set of quick attacks, each attack being parried neatly. However, he had been pushed back, if only momentarily. The initiative was theirs, just for a second. As Kenpachi caught another whip swing with his blade, Ichigo cut at him from the side. The captain brought up his arm, parrying the swing in the most counter-intuitive way possible, and Ichigo was pleased to see a streak of red from the man's forearm.

"Good on ya, kid," Kenpachi said, his grin seeming to widen. "I was afraid I'd hafta play with kiddie gloves all day long."

Ichigo swallowed, and quickly put some distance between himself and the captain, just as Renji's whip retracted.

Then, much to Ichigo's relief, he heard Rangiku finish muttering an incantation, and cry out,  
"Bakudo sixty-three: Sajo Sabaku!"

Around Kenpachi a set of glowing, golden chains manifested, wrapping tightly around his chest and binding his arms.

"Get him!" she cried. "I'll prepare another spell!"

Not needing to be told twice, Renji and Ichigo charged forward. The chains were already cracking, as the lean, muscled giant strained against it, an angry look on his face.

"Fuckin' kido?" he snarled. "You think this shit will hold me back?"

One chain, two chains broke already, and Ichigo knew they only had seconds to work with. Renji's whip surged forward just as Ichigo raised his blade, charging a Getsuga, and time seemed to slow down...

The whip surged forward, aimed at the captain's neck, but at the last second Kenpachi's hand came free, grabbing it in his bare palm. Ichigo, however, was not to be stopped. Raising his blade over his head and bringing it down, he cried out, "Getsuga Tensho!"

The moon-shaped blast of energy surged forward, hitting the captain squarely in the chest. For a second, Ichigo was afraid the monster would just shrug it off, but Kenpachi staggered back, the chains finally broken. The new long, wide cut across his chest wasn't nearly as deep as he had hoped, but it was clear- the giant could certainly bleed.

"Fuck yeah!" Kenpachi cried, and Ichigo was terrified to see the smile on his face, a look of pure joy, as the giant ran forward again. "That's the way, boys! Go, go, go!"

Just barely managing to block, Ichigo and Renji took his direct assault and were pushed back. Ichigo felt like each blow would break an arm, his limbs slowly going numb from the exercise. Just what the hell kind of monster was this man? The wound seemed to barely have registered with him, despite his blood now dripping and soiling the pavement.

"Get clear!" Rangiku cried, having finished another incantation. "Hado sixty-three: Raikoho!"

There was a yellow flash of energy, and as Renji and Ichigo hopped back, a bolt of lightning struck Kenpachi, discharging with immense power, the walls around them crumbling and crashing under the pressure. As the dust started to settle, Ichigo desperately hoped it had been enough. That had been insanely strong magic. Right?

However, as Kenpachi's figure became visible, it became apparent that Ichigo's hope had been vain. The captain's haori had been shredded, and he dropped it to the ground, spitting out some blood, standing as tall as ever.

"Kido," he sneered. "Pansy-ass egghead invention for morons who can't fight properly."

"Haineko!" Rangiku cried out, the dust from her shikai surging forward, clawing at Kenpachi's head and eyes. The giant snarled and spat, batting at the steel-hard, nigh invisible fragments.

"That won't help for long!" Rangiku shouted.

"Hey kid, can you do that attack again?" Renji said quickly. "Up close?"

Ichigo nodded. "Sure."

"Alright, follow my lead!" Renji said urgently. "I got a trick up my sleeve, then."

Renji ran forward, his whip-sword extending further than ever before, stretching to a seemingly impossible length as he swung it around, and Ichigo followed closely behind. The length of the whip-sword's coils quickly wrapped around Kenpachi, its tip anchoring firmly in the ground, once again binding Kenpachi.

"Who the fuck're you kiddin'?" Kenpachi said. Grinding the edge of his sword against the whip, he broke it in several places with a single, powerful thrust outward. However, Ichigo had gotten the time he needed. Attack fully charged, he stood face to face with Kenpachi, sword coming down.

"GETSUGA... TENSHOOO!" He roared the words, and the blast hit Kenpachi almost point blank. The giant remained standing, although staggering back, and Ichigo was left breathing heavily. Another cut this time, deeper and bloodier, stained the scarred madman's body.

Before he had a chance to recover, Rangiku cried, "Soren Sokatsui!" A surge of blue lightning slammed into Kenpachi, fully powered, and he jerked.

"That... fuckin' does it," Kenpachi growled. Seemingly unaffected by his injuries, he charged forward like a juggernaut, ignoring Ichigo and Renji. Matsumoto tried to put distance between herself and Kenpachi, but it was too late, and he was too fast. Fully half of his sword's length ran smoothly into her gut. Kenpachi flicked his blade like he might flick off some dirt, and Rangiku was sent flying into a half-wrecked wall.

"Matsumoto!" Renji shouted, looking toward her. She lay quite still on the ground.

"You think of yourself now, Abarai," Kenpachi said, flicking the blood off his sword and turning toward the redhead.

Renji's zanpakutou was mostly broken now, only a few segments of spiked blade-whip remaining, but he defiantly held up what was left of his sword.

"That's the spirit," Kenpachi said approvingly.

Ichigo stood frozen; Rangiku had been tough enough for him to take on, and Kenpachi had swatted her like a fly. Before he could snap out of his stupor, Kenpachi charged. Like a bull, the captain slammed into Renji. The beleaguered vice-captain managed to block the first three slashes, reeling from the force of each blow, but at last his blade was batted aside, leaving his guard open. It was half a second's work for Kenpachi to bring his sword down, its jagged blade cutting half a foot deep into Renji's shoulder. For a moment, Ichigo thought the vice-captain would be cut in half.  
Instead, he sunk to his knees, a look of shock on his face. Kenpachi put a foot on the man's shoulder, and wrenched his blade free. A look of pain passed Renji's face, and he fell over.

Finally collecting himself, Ichigo charged forward, mindlessly crying out, and Kenpachi caught his blade quite easily.

"Looks like it's just you 'n me now, kid," he said, looking overjoyed. "Make it a good 'un, why don't ya?"

* * *

Erza ran, much like she had for most of the day now. Around her were the tall pillars, the maze, but she was making good progress.

But... something wasn't right. She had run past that same pillar three times now. She wasn't lost, was she? Quickly, she looked around her. It was... as if she hadn't gone anywhere.

Balling her fists, she looked around her suspiciously. She heard a mirthful chuckle, and turned around. Seemingly from nowhere, that familiar figure had stepped forward. Aizen. She tensed, a host of emotions running through her- memories of hurt, betrayal, hate, fury, anger with her own stupidity for once having trusted him...

"You catch on quickly," he said as he clapped his hands once, twice. "You could have caught on quicker, but then again, it was _my_ craft that deceived you." His tone left no illusions as to what he meant: that he was better than anyone else who could possibly do that.

"Aizen," Erza hissed through her teeth. Behind the anger, she was afraid. She was entirely at his mercy. He was strong, probably stronger than her, and even if he wasn't, his illusory abilities were unbeatable.

"Relax yourself. I have come to speak with you," he said, as if reading her mind.

"I have nothing to say to you!" Erza spat.

"Not even a little?" Aizen said, mock hurt in his voice. "We've been apart for so long, and this is how you greet me?"

"I'd say 'go to hell,' but that goes without saying," Erza sneered. She kept one hand wrapped around the hilt of her sword. However powerless she was against him, it at least made her feel more secure.

Aizen laughed again. "Ah, that's my Erza," he said, smiling what seemed like a genuine smile. "Always keeping her chin up, even in the face of Armageddon."

"Destroyer of worlds. Appropriate comparison," Erza shot back.

"I will be the end of the world as they know it," Aizen said simply. "But that is beside the point."

"Then what _is_ the point?" Erza snapped. "I doubt you hunted me down just for a friendly little chat."

"Strangely, that is more or less what I came for," he said with a shrug.

"What?" Erza said. She couldn't understand him, couldn't so much as guess at his motive. He hadn't cut her down yet, so evidently he did not consider her much of a threat. But... why was he talking to her, then? What was his motive?

"It's strange, life," Aizen said wistfully. "Sometimes, you never know what you want until you've lost it."

"You're _kidding_ me," Erza said, a look of disgust on her face.

"You're not one for playing games, so I'll be frank," Aizen said, an amused look on his face. "Out of all the people I've worked with, only you care about the right things. Kaname is a vengeful hypocrite, Gin is... Gin, and the hollows are nothing more than tools. But you... you saw through it all. I'd like you to come back to my side."

"I'd rather die," Erza said coldly.

"Be careful what you say, now," Aizen said, mockingly wagging his finger at Erza. "Just consider what you could do if you submitted. Reforge the entire Soul Society into a decent place, remove all this corruption and cruelty..."

"While becoming a corrupt murderer myself in the process," Erza snarled. "No thank you."

Aizen sighed, and shrugged. "I overreacted when I framed you; I realize that now. This is a rare thing for me to do, but I'll admit it- that was a mistake. Surely you can see I am serious now?"

For a man as arrogant as him, it would indeed be rare to admit to a mistake, even jokingly. Somewhere in Erza's mind, the notion that he meant what he said started to creep in.

"So what?" Erza said angrily, deciding to play along. She didn't have any other options, anyhow. "You forced me to run. I lost an entire life. I lost all my friends. Everything I worked for became nothing because of you."

"You built a new life, found new friends and new meaning," Aizen said. He shrugged, and Erza realized he thought of his past actions as being entirely inconsequential. "I understand you have moral compunctions about my methods and associates. So, I invite you to be my moral anchor. I'll take you seriously."

"Seriously," Erza echoed.

"Seriously," Aizen said with a nod.

"You're crazy."

"You've got reservations about Gin," Aizen said understandingly. "To be frank, I've no problem doing away with him if it means your coming to my side. I keep him around because he's a little useful, but mostly because he's amusing." He cracked a gleeful smile. "Can you believe he doesn't think I know he's looking for the most opportune time to stab me in the back with his nasty little blade? It's honestly more than a little funny."

"You're sick. Mad," Erza said.

"No, I've got vision," Aizen said sharply. "True vision looks like madness to the lesser mind, because they can only imagine what their limited scope on reality lets them. But you know, don't you?" He looked her in the eye. "You know, because you dared to dream, just like I did, of a better world. One that had to be shaken, razed, and rebuilt."

"And it made me something ugly!" Erza shot back angrily. It all came back to her now, and she felt an overwhelming shame. How could she ever have let herself be convinced by a narcissistic psychopath like him?

"The road to change is fraught with sacrifice," Aizen said knowingly. "Friends, family, life and limb... those are sacrifices anyone can think of. But the one nobody considers is the sacrifice of self: not your life, but who you are. I once believed as you did, that all lives matter, that murder is wrong, that the world can become a better place simply by being good to it." He shook his head. "But then I wizened to the ways of the world. It cost me many of my beliefs. It cost me a lot of who I _was_, but my goal never changed: a better world, one with equality and safety for all. You are afraid to sacrifice, Erza, and I understand that. But if you only dare take that step, there is no limit to what you can achieve."

For just a moment, Erza wanted to take his hand and accept his offer. He was nothing if not convincing, every word sounding heartfelt and genuine. It could very well be true, for all she knew.  
But reason pulled her back. To say yes would be to deny who she was.

"You forget one thing," she said venomously.

"Oh?" Aizen said curiously. "Name me any favour or boon I can grant you, and it will be yours."

Erza shook her head. "Imagine my position," she said, feeling her confidence grow with every word, "betrayed, a life stolen and destroyed, banished from everything she loves. If you stood face to face with the one who made that happen, would you trust them?"

"I realize this is a hard sell-" Aizen said, but Erza interrupted him.

"Use your head, Aizen Sousuke," she said harshly. "From where I stand, I have no logical reason to trust a single thing you said. As long as I cannot trust your word, there is no way I could even consider your reasoning. And even if your every word was true, even if I could trust you, I'd still say no, because I've seen what they make of people. Your vision makes monsters of people, and no better tomorrow is worth that!"

"...I see," Aizen said solemnly, and Erza thought she heard a bit of regret in his voice. "Yes. A barrier of mistrust. Of my own making, no less."

He chuckled again. "That _is_ solid logic, I'm afraid. Then again, it is that clarity that made me approach you in the first place."

"Is this the part where you cut my head off?" Erza said bluntly. "Because if it is, then get on with it."

"Oh, no," Aizen said amusedly. "I'd never. Proceed as you would. However, I will warn you: all your struggles will be in vain. All is in the palm of my hand, and your struggle will do nothing but play into my hands."

"I'll still try," Erza said defiantly.

"Good, good," Aizen said, nodding approvingly. "Until we meet again, Erza Scarlet."

With that, he faded from view, and all of reality around her changed- back to whatever it had been before Aizen had cast his illusion, she assumed. Aizen himself was nowhere to be seen, and she couldn't sense even a hint of his reiatsu. She shook her head, as if to clear her mind after a bad dream. She was glad to be alive and unhurt, but the thought of Aizen's eyes being on her, of him still having an interest in her, unsettled her deeply.

But then she felt it, and all her worry and unease was overrun by fear, anger, and protective instinct. Far behind her in the Seireitei, blazing so loudly even the clumsiest first-year student could have felt it, was Kenpachi's reiatsu. In its shadow was Ichigo's.

Balling her fists, Erza turned her back on Rukia's prison and ran.

* * *

It was a miracle he could still lift his arms. They were going numb now, the pain from blocking the monstrously powerful blows the mad captain was dealing out wearing him down. _Your body lies to you,_ he desperately told himself, recalling his sensei's words. _You can do so much more than you believe you can if you put your mind to it._

Inspiring quotes were good and all, but at some point you had to face reality. Kenpachi was bearing down on him, laughing madly as he cut at Ichigo again and again, forcing him back step by step. He was strong, terrifyingly strong. Ichigo had once balked at the overwhelming power of a Menos Grande, but he knew now that it was nothing compared to the champion of the Gotei Thirteen.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Kenpachi cried animatedly, his blood hot with excitement, "where's that spirit, boy? You ain't all attitude, are ya?"

A single vicious sideways slash, just barely blocked, sent Ichigo sliding back a good twenty feet, and he only barely remained standing.

"Ichi... go..."

It was Rangiku, some ten yards away, clutching her midsection, which was bleeding copiously. She was conscious, but seemed to manage little more than propping herself up on one elbow.

"You have to run!" she hissed. "You can't win this one! He'll kill you!"

Ichigo swallowed. "He might kill the two of you, too," he said.

It was stupid. He barely knew the two shinigami, knowing little more about them aside from them being agreeable enough... and old friends of Erza's. The monster ahead of him was mad with bloodlust, and there was no telling what he might do.

It was stupid. It was irrational. But something in him refused to run, even though he was utterly terrified, because leaving the two of them to their fate... he couldn't do it.

"Still not backing down, huh?" Kenpachi said, walking toward Ichigo. "Good on ya, kid."

Ichigo forced his body to move, to react, despite it groaning in protest. He brought his sword up, took a few steps forward, and brought it down. Kenpachi, still grinning like a shark, simply let Ichigo's strike hit. Ichigo's blow hit home, raking across Kenpachi's chest, managing to draw some blood. At the same time, Kenpachi's blade cut diagonally across Ichigo's torso, from shoulder to hip. A look of shock on his face, Ichigo staggered back, sinking to his knees.

_I don't want to die._

**You don't have to.**

"That's all you got, huh?" Kenpachi said, sounding disappointed. Ichigo's reiatsu was on the wane, fluctuating and weakening, like a candle's flame struggling against a gust of wind.

Fear. He looked up on the demon in front of him, and fear overwhelmed him. The man was the Devil himself, or so he seemed to Ichigo at the moment. Towering over him, mighty, ruthless, and powerful, his reiatsu blazing a bright yellow... and for a moment, Ichigo thought he saw a skull tower over the demon's back, leering and grinning at him like the Grim Reaper.

_I don't want to die._ The thought filled his mind, fear having robbed him of all reason, all hope, all determination.

**Then let me save us.**

"Che," Kenpachi sneered, resting the sword against his shoulder. "Stupid punk, getting my hopes up... didn't even lose the eyepatch."

He shrugged, turned his back, and started walking away. Ichigo didn't even register it.

_I don't want to die!_

**Then give me control!**

_Yes..._

Kenpachi, although possessing minimal sensory skills, felt it clearly. There was a small gust of wind as the boy's reiatsu stopped fluctuating and instead started rising, firm, powerful, and enormous. The captain turned around, the grin returning to his face.

"Ya got some left in ya, after all?"

Ichigo couldn't hear him anymore. His reiatsu had changed radically, now toxic, malevolent, and almost as vicious as Kenpachi's. He rose to his feet, and Kenpachi could see it now- the boy's skin had started turning white, a single red line apparent on each arm, running down from his chin. Where his face had been, there was an oval hollow's mask, two thick lines of red running over and past each eye. His eyes were glowing a bright yellow. It was clear he wasn't entirely changed, though- his hair was still present, and he wore the robes of a shinigami still, and the zanpakutou dangled from his hand. For a second, he staggered, as if a bit groggy.

"I ain't got no clue what happened now," Kenpachi said with bloodthirsty glee, "and I don't give a shit either. Show me what ya got, whoever ya are."

With his voice echoing as if layered several times, a bundle of the same voices tied together with chain, a being that was most certainly not Ichigo spoke gleefully.

**"I don't have a name... and I don't need one either."**

The hollow-beast let out a loud, ear-piercing shriek, and in one swift motion it threw Zangetsu up in the air. Holding it by its cloth wrapping, it rapidly spun the blade around at an impossible speed, the black sword seeming a blur. With one swift motion, the hollow-beast sent the blade flying with tremendous force at Kenpachi. Letting out a loud laugh, the captain slammed the blade aside. It was much stronger than before, though, enough to send him sliding back a foot or two. This was about to get interesting.

The two ran forward simultaneously, clashing like two titans of war. Beside the two of them, buildings were razed and street tiles overturned at a radius of at least twenty yards. In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged a dozen blows, Kenpachi finding the hollow-beast to be his match and then some. However, his superior experience won out, and in a vicious counter-attack he sliced into the beast's shoulder.

"Come on, come on!" Kenpachi cried, pushing his blade down on the beast, who pushed back just as hard. "Ya gotta do better than that!"

The beast let out a long breath, as if unimpressed. **"I ain't the stupid kid you just saw, Zaraki Kenpachi. I'm a monster just the same as you!"**

Before Kenpachi's eyes, the injury started to knit together- and come to think of it, the kid's injuries from before were gone, as well. Kenpachi let out a whistle.

"Now yer talkin'," he said approvingly.

Letting out another shriek, the hollow-beast pushed Kenpachi back, and launched into a series of quick, hard attacks. Like the captain's own, his style seemed to have no form, only a ruthless desire to do grievous harm. Before too long he had managed to bat Kenpachi's sword aside, and in one ruthless thrust he pushed Zangetsu halfway into the captain's gut.

**"What's wrong, Demon of Zaraki?"** cried the beast mockingly. **"Your flesh is softer than I thought!"**

"Good boy!" Kenpachi said with a grin. "But kid, ya gotta do better than that!"

Firmly grabbing hold of the blade piercing him with his free hand, he cut the hollow-beast once, twice, with force that could have cut Ichigo in half. The hollow-beast reeled back, still holding on to Zangetsu, two massive flesh wounds across its chest. However, the injuries were already starting to seal shut, and they didn't even seem to spill that much blood.

"Well, there we go," Kenpachi said, and his grin widened. "I guess I can lose it after all."

He reached for his eyepatch, but that same moment, the hollow-beast stopped dead in its tracks. Its limbs trembling slightly, one arm slowly forced its way to the face, white fingernails slowly but firmly grabbing hold of the mask's edges.

**_"Stop!" _**cried the beast. **"_We're winning, damn you! Let me handle this! I'm stronger, I can make it work-_"**

Its cries went ignored, and slowly the arm started to pry the mask off. The energy of the hollow-beast started to fluctuate, and then as the mask was pulled off, it disappeared altogether. The mask cracked, turning to dust, and Ichigo's skin went back to normal. With it, unfortunately, came the injuries he'd had before, and he sunk to his knees again, falling on his back.

Kenpachi sneered disapprovingly. "That's twice now ya went and got my hopes up, ya dumb punk."

Ichigo did not reply, lying still on the broken ground.

"Fuck it," Kenpachi muttered, shrugging. Resting his bloodied sword on his shoulder, he turned around, seeming entirely unaffected by his injuries.

He took a couple of steps before he once again had cause to turn around. Landing with a loud thud, the ground around her shaking under the weight of her massive, infuriated reiatsu, was Erza Scarlet. Clad in armour, her hand on her sword, she had a scowl that would have made the angriest of punks proud, and a look of barely restrained rage on her face.

Kenpachi grinned.

* * *

**NON-CANON CRACK OMAKE TIME!**

Rod felt a sense of urgency as he headed toward his boss' office. He looked toward the closest nameless, throwaway henchman as he arrived at her door, and said,

"How bad is it?"

"...you'll have to see for yourself, sir," said the henchman nervously.

"That bad, huh?" Rod muttered. "Has she..."

Behind the door, he could hear noises. Loud, familiar noises.

Rod sighed. "Why can't she just flog herself like a normal person?" He grunted. Resignedly, he opened the door.

Immediately, he was bombarded by a symphony of angry edginess that only an outraged white person could produce.

"CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAWLING IN MY SKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN, THESE WOUNDS THEY WILL NOT HEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLL," bellowed Soifon's stereo system. Soifon herself sat curled up on her bed, sobbing while crying tearz of blud. Or angrily staring down a Nirvana poster, at least.

"FEAR IS HOW I FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL," the sound system continued. Cringing, Rod grabbed his captain's iSoul, and quickly paused it.

"Hey!" Soifon cried out, getting off her bed.

"Boss, this is getting out of hand," Rod said tiredly.

"Lay off me, man!" Soifon insisted, pointing angrily at him. "You just don't understand my PAIN!"

"Boss, sitting in your room and listening to fake edgy songs isn't going to help your crush," Rod said, sighing.

"It's not... fake edgy," Soifon insisted.

"Really?" Rod said. "So if I check the playlist on your iSoul, it won't be filled with songs that are as angsty as they are angry and confusing?"

"...no," Soifon said.

Resignedly, Rod pressed "next".

"I WALK A LONELY STREET, THE ONLY ONE THAT I HAVE EVER KNOOOOWN," started the iSoul.

Next.

"HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO MEEEEE, I MADE NO MISTAAAAAAAAAKES,"

Next.

"WAKE ME UP INSIDE (I CAN'T WAKE UP) WAKE ME UP INSIDE, WAKE ME UP AND SAAAAVE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE,"

"Okay, knock it off!" Soifon said irritably, as Rod paused it again. "They're like, deep and stuff. You wouldn't understand."

"I understand that makeup, angst and black clothes sells music," Rod muttered. "Captain, this is getting out of hand, as I said. You can't keep doing this when you break down."

"I'm okay," Soifon insisted. "I just needed to... unwind."

Rod sighed again. "Captain, you're starting to act like sixteenth seat Uchiha. The angst is too much."

Soifon gasped. "You take that back!" She paused. "Wait, which one? The handsome one, or the _really_ handsome one?"

"The whiny one," Rod said. "You know, the one that's a chronically backstabbing douchebag, yet still somehow is popular within his own squad?"

"Oh... him." Soifon said soberly. "Oh crap... I am, aren't I?"

"Yup."

"...oh crap," Soifon muttered.

"Fortunately, there is a cure," Rod said confidently. "A high-powered injection of happiness and colour."

"...I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"It's a simple choice," Rod said. "At least six hours of marathoning an uplifting TV show. Either one about lesbian space rocks, or candy coloured ponies."

"...how lesbian are the space rocks?" Soifon said hesitantly.

"Very."

"And how colorful are the ponies?"

"_Very._"

"Shit..." Soifon muttered.

"There is... an alternative," Rod said.

Six hours later, Soifon sat with her eyes glued to a conveniently placed TV.

"So... this is really dumb," she said, slowly chewing popcorn.

"Yup," Rod agreed.

"But it just _works_."

"Yup."

"I mean... how in god's name is it actually good TV to watch overly muscular men strike effeminate, oddly homosexual poses while fighting aztec vampires?" Soifon said, completely enthralled.

"It is one of the world's great mysteries," Rod said cheerily. "Another six episodes, and we get to the part where the muscular men get ghost pokémon buddies that they use to fight other ghost pokémon, which that effeminate, muscular blond vampire keeps sending at them for some reason."

"...hell yeah," Soifon muttered. "Does it ever get any less... fabulous?"

"Not ever."

Inwardly, Rod drew a breath of relief. Life at second division posed some... unique challenges.

* * *

**That was quite the chapter now wasn't it? I dont think anyone expected our favorite hollow to make an apperance. Why? To mix things up. Keep it fresh and interesting. You'll be seeing more and more divergences as the story goes on. Also, I hope you all enjoyed the Omake. We may do more in the future.**

**Now I know that some of you may be upset that Ichigo didn't get the win against Kenpachi. While i really loved the battle we had in the official cannon, the fact remains that Erza has a backstory with Kenpachi, she has problems with him, and Im positive that most of my readers have been eager for a rematch. Remember, ERZA is the main character, not Ichigo.**

**Thats not to say Ichigo wont be getting anymore badass moments in this arc. I promise you, the substitute soul reaper will continue to kick sufficient amounts of ass through out this story. But this is Erza's battle.**

**Also, before any of you ask why Ichigo got his ass handed to him so badly this time around, its really quite simple. 1. Ichigo didnt get the zangetsu bost this time. 2. Kenpachis earlier battle with Erza in the story has placed him on the same level when he fought Tousen and Konamura due to his mental restraints. He is WAY more powerful here than he was in his fight with Ichigo.**

**Oh, and yes...We are going to be trying our damnedest to give you guys the most epic battle of this story yet. Blood WILL be shed on both ends.**

**Now before i go any further, Greatkingrat88 has a few words he'd like to say about certain events that occurred in this chapter.**

**" A few notes. The hollow transformation- we did skip a few things. Like the partial, half-face image, his skin turning white... we've accelerated things a little. That's not to say it makes Ichigo that much more powerful- god mode hollow is NOT something you will see from us. This will, however, launch a new subplot as Ichigo tries to wrestle with this new manifestation. Oh and... let's just go on record: "hollow zangetsu" is NOT HAPPENING. Ever. That was a garbage tier awful plot twist that makes M. Night Shyamalan look competent by comparison. In our universe, the hollow and zangetsu are two distinct and separate entities. Zangetsu is Zangetsu, period.**

**Oh and... Kenpachi vs Erza comes next. GET. HYPED. ****On that note, regarding the damage Kenpachi took: as grievous as I made it sound, he's not even slowed down at this point. If he were a video game boss, he'd not even have lost 10% of his HP****"**

**Now I know some of you may be upset at this. I am as well if i have to be honest. I personally LOVED the twist, i felt it made perfect sense, and I REALLY did want to incorporate it into the story, i REALLY did...but he was very adamant on not having this in the story from the very beginning, and we agreed that we wouldn't do it. Its a shame to me, and I know for some of you reading, I know it is, but i cant always get what i want.**

**However, i promise all for you dear readers that we will deliver something really cool out of this. Yes we may have lost the interesting zanpaktou idea of cannon, but i promise you all an equally interesting plot line. I wont go into detail, but im sure you'll all love it.**

**Regardless, thank you all so much for reading the story as long as you have and for all the reviews. We really are quite grateful for them all, and we eagerly away to see what you all have to say about this one.**


	41. The Saints of War

**Hello everyone. Now, before we get onto the the chapter...I want to address somethings. First of all, I want to thank all of you reviewers for helping us get over 700 reviews. What a milestone! I hope for us to surpass 900 by the end of the arc, perhaps even 1000! With your support, I know we can make it happen! We've also just pushed passed the 400,000 word threshold. An amazing feat, and one we're going to surpass by far by the end of this adventure of ours.**

**But enough of that, we're not here to talk about that. No, your hear for something else. Your here for-**

_**ERZA**_

_**VS**_

_**KENPACHI**_

**Me and Greatkingrat88 but as much effort as we could to make sure that this fight would not only deliver, but also heal the wounds that death battle has given to her fans. Consider this your therapy, my fellow Erza fans.**

**Speaking of which, here are some words from Greatkingrat88 himself.**

**"Well, here we are- the longest fight scene I've ever written, and one I took seriously enough that I had it beta-read by multiple people to make sure it was good enough. This is it- Kenpachi, the living embodiment of heavy metal, vs Erza, the baddest badass ever to ass badly. For this chapter, I recommend you put Dvorak's New World Symphony on as background music. Or Duel of Fates. Anyhow... let the battle commence."**

**Well said. **

**MAY THE DUEL OF THE FATES BEGIN!**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

The sun was setting and the dust was settling, and Kenpachi looked at the new arrival, seeming pleased as punch. Sword lazily leaned against his shoulder, still red with Ichigo's blood, he looked her in the eye.

"Ain't this my lucky day?" he said, and took a step forward. "Here I thought I was gettin' let down, twice over no less, but it turns out to be a decent warm-up for a proper fight."

Erza shot him a hateful glare, and walked toward him.

"Ya've grown, haven't ya?" he continued. "I can feel ya, and I ain't what you'd call a genius at sensin'. Yer angry. Use it."

Erza balled her fists. Instead of giving in to his goading, however, she promptly walked up to Ichigo and gently picked him up in a bridal carry, turning her back to Kenpachi. Ignoring him, she walked away from him, toward Rangiku.

"Oi, don't you ignore me!" Kenpachi said. "I ain't gonna be cheated-"

For a moment Erza stopped, and turned to look at him, her face turned into a twisted visage of hateful anger.

"You won't be cheated, Zaraki Kenpachi."

She all but hissed the words out, her voice trembling.

"Good," the giant said with a grin.

Erza ignored him again. It was a difficult thing to do. He was one of the few people she had genuinely come to hate, trumped only by Mayuri and Aizen himself. He was a murderer who cared nothing for life, friendship, loyalty, solidarity or camaraderie. He was a mad dog who lived only for the madness of fighting. He was the living antithesis, more than Aizen himself, of what she stood for. That was reason enough to hurt him, beat him, but what made her blood boil was the picture of Ichigo lying broken on the ground, bleeding and cut down like meat for the butcher's cleaver. To protect her own was Erza's reason for living, and that was the reason she hadn't lunged at Kenpachi screaming her lungs out.

Because Ichigo was still alive. There was Renji and Rangiku, too, but she had been part of Ichigo's life since before he could walk, and without thinking she knew who mattered more. Right now, she had to make sure he lived. His reiatsu was stable, although odd- she had sensed hollow energy on her way here, but that was a question for later. He was injured and unconscious, but thankfully far from dead. If that had happened... the image flashed across her mind of a dead boy, his corpse growing cold because she wasn't there to save him; of his mother looking at her, wondering why she hadn't saved him, of having lost somebody _again_...

It took remarkable self-control to remain calm outwardly, but Erza managed. Stopping by Rangiku, she said, "Can you heal him?"

"I..." Rangiku said, gesturing helplessly to her gut injury.

"That's a flesh wound. It hurts, but you'll function. _Can you heal him?_" Erza said bluntly.  
Normally she would have thought it heartless to be this demanding of somebody hurt this badly, a friend no less, but this was too important.

"Smooth as usual..." Rangiku muttered. She let out a pained groan, and forced herself into a sitting position.

"Can you heal him?" Erza repeated a third time, mercilessly direct.

"I... could apply basic medical kido," Rangiku said, her voice filled with disbelief. "Stop the bleeding. Dull the pain. I'm not a medic."

Erza nodded. "It'll do." Gently, she set Ichigo down on the ground next to Rangiku, and she had to force herself not to retch as she got a closer look at the boy's injuries. "Get... get him well. Do what you can. Renji, too, if possible," she said, her voice trembling, with horror and fear as much as rage.

"I'll try," Rangiku muttered, clutching her bleeding gut. All things considered, she had gotten off better than either Renji or Ichigo, although it wasn't much. "What about him, though?" she added, and gestured toward Kenpachi as she leaned over Ichigo, slowly starting to summon the energies necessary to perform kido.

"Oh, don't you worry," Erza said firmly. She felt an overwhelming fury rise in her chest, now that Ichigo was taken care of. Her body practically trembling with anticipation, with a boiling fury and a simple desire to _hurt_ him, she took her first steps toward the man.

Kenpachi, for his part, looked almost giddy.

"Bring it, girl! Show me what runnin' away did for ya!" he cried out happily.

In an instant, Erza had moved forward with one swift shunpo, sword drawn. She cut at him in a wide arc, up and down, and Kenpachi parried it just barely, laughing like a madman. However, his mirth was cut short as Erza pushed forward, slamming a punch into his face. It was a blow fuelled by absolute rage, every ounce of muscle she could muster behind it, and it connected with a satisfying crunch. Surprised by the attack, Kenpachi lost his footing, and was sent flying through a nearby building, landing some forty yards away.

Erza shot a quick glance behind her, and saw Rangiku working a basic medical kido with one hand, the other still clutched over her gut. She looked back toward where Kenpachi had gone. This would be sufficient distance, enough to keep the wounded three safe, or so she hoped at least. Without another moment's hesitation, she jumped forward with the speed of the wind, running right at Kenpachi.

The demon himself seemed unaffected, naturally. His nose had turned crooked, a red mark forming where Erza's armoured fist had impacted, but as he stood up he grinned as wide as ever.

"Don't let me down," he said.

Erza stared him down, standing some ten yards away, sword drawn. She remembered the first time she had seen him, when he had slain a decent man to become captain, all under the Gotei's laws. She remembered the last and only time she had battled him. She had been much weaker then, afraid and outfought. He had towered over her like an evil spirit, and she had only lived because of the intervention of her zanpakutou.

He still towered over her, but she was not afraid. Anger burned inside her, still raging like a wildfire. _He had hurt Ichigo._ He had hurt Renji and Rangiku. He had cut her down and nearly killed her for fun. He had slain Kiganjo. Decades of contempt, of repressed fury and hatred welled up in her chest, overwhelming her common sense.

Her logic cried out against it. The smart thing, she knew somewhere, was to take Ichigo and run, to accomplish their objective and be done with it. Her heart, the one that burned with the pride of Fairy Tail, the one that remembered the mage she once was, cried out for revenge. The die was cast, and she would reap the consequences no matter what.

"Ready yourself, Zaraki Kenpachi," she said, her voice nearly shaking, "because I'll be giving you all you deserve."

"Just what I wanted to hear," Kenpachi said cheerily.

"Will those injuries slow you down?" Erza said, as the two slowly took their first steps toward each other. "Will you cry foul when you are beaten, because you were hurt before?"

Kenpachi let out a loud laugh. "These little scratches?" he said, and gestured toward the flesh wound on his chest, bleeding and raw, yet seeming to not even slow him down. "It's just the way I like it. Makes it more even."

"You really are a demon," Erza said, and raised her sword.

Kenpachi raised his sword for a hard downward swing, and took the first step of a run.

Then, the world went grey, and Erza saw the world around her change to the familiar shape of the marble palace. In the distance she could still see Kenpachi, sword raised, still moving but at an incredibly slow pace.

"Worry not," said Tetsu no Tama, stepping up to her side. "A second of your world's time will be plenty of time for me."

"What is it you want?" Erza said anxiously. She was not glad to have been pulled out of the fight just as it began. "This is not the time to lecture me about how you are to be used."

"Lecture?" Tetsu no Tama said with a smile. Erza looked at him, and saw that he seemed... different. He still wore golden armour, but it looked much more practical, much more warlike, like something one might actually see on a battlefield. Tucked under his right arm was a helmet, meant to accompany his suit of full plate armour, and he looked pleased in an honest way, like Erza could scarcely remember seeing before.

"Today, we avenge ourselves," he said, satisfaction permeating his voice. "Today, we stand up against the rabid dog who humiliated us, and show him the true power of master and servant. I am come not to lecture you, but to give you my word of encouragement. Hold nothing back, my master. Today, we kill the demon of Zaraki."

"Kill?" Erza said, staring at the slow image of Zaraki. "You know that is not what I do."

"You know the necessities," Tetsu no Tama said, his smile turning into a smirk. "You are not so naïve as to think this fight can be fought with the preservation of life in mind. You know he is a dishonourable cur, a murderer and a cut-throat. You know there is no reason to stay your blade. The Gotei is corrupt, and he is one of its most noxious cancers."

Erza balled her fists. "That is my decision to make."

Tetsu no Tama looked at her with affection. "You would be naïve to think he will give you that choice."

"Begone," Erza said firmly. "Begone, and we will cry havoc, and let loose the tools of war."

"_Yes, my master,_" Tetsu no Tama said, his voice becoming almost a shout.

The marble palace disappeared, and Erza had all but a second to react as Kenpachi slammed into her, bringing his sword down with tremendous force. Erza roared out, screaming her fury to the heavens, and deflected his blow- powerful, but simple- and launched into a series of furious cuts, her arms moving more quickly and hitting harder than she could even follow, her fighting becoming a messy mesh of instinct, anger, and muscle-memory sword form. Her sword held in both hands, she hit quickly enough that she seemed to move in a blur, too fast to be followed by the naked eye. Each strike carried the weight that only anger could lend a body, all mental restraints entirely lifted, and she screamed with rage all the while. The sheer force was enough to push even Kenpachi back, and though the captain tried to counter-attack, Erza's defenses had no holes. In a matter of seconds she had drawn blood, her Tetsu no Tama cutting into his flesh in a dozen places. Yet as he was pushed back, as he took one cut after another, only barely keeping up with her pace, Kenpachi simply laughed.

For several minutes they simply clashed, exchanging blow after blow. Kenpachi: wild, raw, powerful, unrefined. Erza, even in her rage: formal, elegant, and well practiced. _Technique almost always wins over raw power._ That's what she had taught Ichigo. If not for Zaraki Kenpachi, she might just have said 'always'. But now, the two of them struggling against each other, their power was if not equal, then at least close enough.

Finally Kenpachi caught her blade, pushing back and breaking her stride. Letting out a loud, spirited cry, he shoved her back, and immediately followed up with a furious attack, his strength more than matching her own. Hopping back from a wide horizontal slash, she braced herself as Kenpachi charged forward with the force of a speeding locomotive.

"Come on, come on!" he hollered, swinging his sword in wide, quick, harsh slashes, pushing Erza back. "You ain't even started yet! Don't leave me hangin'!"

Dodging under another horizontal cut, Erza roared again, stabbing forward, the tip of her sword piercing through Kenpachi's chest, coming just short of slicing through his throat. Kenpachi roared with laughter, and the same moment, he counter-attacked, not even considering blocking or parrying. His huge sword rammed through the plate of her armour, although the armour slowed its impact some, and Erza felt a burning pain as it cut deeply into her midsection. As one, the two pulled their swords free, and Erza took a step back. The pain was like a shower of cold water, the worst of her rage now washing off her.

_"Master, you are being foolish!"_ snapped the voice of Tetsu no Tama. _"You are letting your anger cloud your senses! In a brawl, in a contest of strength, you will never win against him. Use your strengths, my master, that which makes you better than him! Use ME!"_

Erza nodded. He was right. She held her sword out, and a gust of wind sailed around her feet as her reiatsu started to adjust to the power she was building up.

"Finally gettin' ready to let loose?" Kenpachi said. "Take yer time."

"_Strike,_" Erza all but bellowed, "Tetsu no Tama!"

The transformation was almost instantaneous. Her sword glowed briefly, like so many times before, and changed. Seconds later, she stood with a longsword in her hand, double-edged, broad and straight, with a cross-guard. On her left arm was a triangular kite shield, sturdy and thick, emblazoned with the red emblem of Fairy Tail on a white background.

"Shields?" Kenpachi said with a chuckle. "Well, ain't you the little knight in shinin' armour."

"My shikai takes many forms. This one, I learned in my absence. Face Justice, Zaraki."

"Let's see how tough that defense really is, eh?" Kenpachi cheered, and surged forward. Holding her shield high and assuming a stance, her head and chest well covered, Erza blocked his strike. It shook her with its thunderous force, but at the same time as it had come in, Erza had thrust her sword forward. Buried almost to the hilt, her sword had slid into his chest quite easily.

"Well, son of a bitch..." Kenpachi muttered, pushing against her shield, Erza still not budging.

"You will not win against me like this, Zaraki Kenpachi," Erza cried furiously. "You will not win, and you will not break this shield!"

Twisting the sword, she pulled it out, and felt almost guilty at how much she enjoyed the pained grunt he let out. Almost.

Quickly, she launched into a series of attacks, pushing the giant back, always keeping her guard up. Not the champion fighter of the Gotei for nothing, Kenpachi guarded and counter-attacked, each blow tremendously powerful, but Erza was fully covered, her shield absorbing every strike without fail. Slowly and carefully she pushed back, refusing to let a single hit land.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Kenpachi roared, banging his sword against her ruthlessly and recklessly, ignoring every little hit he took. "That's it, just like that! Hit me harder, woman!"

Her shield soon became dented and chipped, but it refused to yield. Finally Kenpachi stopped her advance, batting her blade aside with a deceivingly clever twist, but Erza held her shield high, and blocked the following attack easily. The two locked in a vicious, stubborn push, Kenpachi raining down a furious set of strikes with his seemingly unlimited energy, testing Erza's defences to their furthest. Erza, for her part, simply refused to take any damage, her shield and sword proving too effective for his wild berserker style.

_It is becoming a deadlock,_ Tetsu no Tama spoke in her mind. _You must start to do real damage, or you will tire out._

Erza nodded, and anticipating one of his wild strikes, she sidestepped, his swing going wild. Quickly she hopped forward, slamming her shield into his face. The force of the blow broke the giant's stride, and before he could recover, Erza had cut him one, two, three times, and as he brought his sword to bear again, Erza parried with her shield and stabbed him in the gut, before cutting at his thigh.

The struggle was becoming brutal, Kenpachi's endurance seeming limitless, but Erza was winning. She had not been cut once, not since that one time before she released her shikai, and her style was superior to the wild and untempered brutality of her opponent. Slowly but surely, she got one hit in here, another there. Like chipping away at a mountain it was, but she had a hammer to do it with.  
She knew it was only the beginning, though. _Bankai_ was a strong weapon, but it would barely be enough when...

Kenpachi took a step back and laughed, holding his sword out to the side.

"I ain't sure if I'm pissed that you keep hidin' behind a shield, or havin' a blast 'cause you're makin' me work for it," he said, raw, rough joy permeating his voice. "One thing's for sure, though, woman- ya're worth goin' all out for."

Erza braced herself as he reached for his eyepatch. She remembered it all too well, the terrifying, raw power he emitted when fully unleashed...

In one swift, harsh move, Kenpachi pulled off the eyepatch, and immediately his power exploded like a bomb, a shockwave emitting from his frame as the fabric of the afterlife's reality groaned and strained to adjust to his power. The earth trembled, turning everything in his immediate vicinity to dust, and Erza could _see_ his reiatsu, normally invisible to the naked eye, blazing a bright yellow, and for a second she could see the image of a skull above him, grinning at her grimly...

"Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time..." Kenpachi said with a grin, and stepped forward. "So, don't stop me now."

Demonstratively he held out his sword, and made a cut to his right into thin air. A massive blast of energy discharged, and every building within a hundred yards of him was reduced to rubble instantly. Erza did not envy whoever had been caught in that. It looked as if he had wrecked an entire division. The houses on the edges of the blast looked bizarre, cut in half.

She swallowed. For a moment, that old fear resurfaced, that fear of death, the horror he stood for... but then she remembered her anger, her fury, and she stood resolute. She was _not_ who she once had been. She was strong now.

"You are powerful, Zaraki Kenpachi," she said firmly, taking a stance. "But we are none of us invincible. Let's see what you have in the face of my bankai."

"Bring it on," Kenpachi said, nodding approvingly.

Quickly, Erza thumbed a rune on her regular armour, which Urahara thoughtfully had added for just such an occasion, and the straps magically came undone, the plated mail falling to the ground. Kenpachi curiously raised an eyebrow, but didn't question it. Erza flung her armour away and to the side, and held her sword out, her reiatsu surging.

"_Bankai!_" She roared the words out, and stared into the giant's eyes. "Tetsuken Yoseitama!"

Dust was blown up generously from the ground, rushed up by the sheer discharge of raw power, rivalling even that of her demonic opponent. As it settled, her fully released form could be seen, glorious and resplendent. She wore armour, not unlike the one that she had worn just a second before, but more majestic, with a silver gleam, the same emblem of her old guild clearly visible on her chest. Little crosses were visible to the eye on its chest and shoulder plates. Her shield, which had been chipped and dented, was whole again, gleaming with splendour.

"Ya lose armour, so ya can put on more armour?" Kenpachi said with a chuckle. "Don't matter to me. Here I go!"

Like two titans, the two of them charged at each other, and they clashed with a sound like that of a thunderclap.

* * *

Standing on a rooftop, mercifully spared from the devastation below, the one known to the Gotei Thirteen as Kusajishi Yachiru surveyed the scene. Her beloved Ken-chan was letting loose, and it filled her with joy to see him have this much fun, more than he'd had for centuries. It was sure to look like a war zone from down below, but from afar, one really got a sense of the destruction, entire blocks of buildings having been leveled, and more buildings continuing to crumble as the fight moved around. She smiled; it was a good sign.

"A grand sight, is it not?"

Yachiru blinked, and looked to her left. A tall man stood next to her, seemingly having appeared out of thin air, and it was obvious he was no shinigami. He wore strange armour, covering him from tip to toe, and it gleamed with gold. Only his face could be seen, the visor on his helmet turned up.

"Who are you, mister?" Yachiru said innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me," the new arrival sneered. He smiled triumphantly, fixing his eyes on the fighting two. "Your cries are obvious to all, except the one who should hear them the most."

Yachiru's innocent look disappeared, and she looked at the man. "Shouldn't your attention be elsewhere, mister?"

"Oh, it is," he said confidently. "However, master can manage for a minute or two without my full attention. I so rarely get the chance to see a different perspective."

"If you say so," Yachiru said, and shrugged.

"You are pathetic, Nozarashi," Tetsu no Tama said, his gleeful smile never leaving his face. "What great and unimaginable misfortune it must be to be in your position."

"You're not very nice," Yachiru said, and there was a hint of warning in her voice.

"Worry not," Tetsu no Tama said, his voice sounding as if reverent before the situation, nearly trembling, "your pain will soon be at an end. He will die, as he well deserves, and you may welcome oblivion with him."

"Don't underestimate him," Yachiru said firmly. "He's the strongest there is."

"She won't," Tetsu no Tama said, a tremor of excitement breaking through his voice, so hardly strained to keep its composure. "That's why she will win, and he will lose."

Yachiru shook her head. "Nobody can beat him. Nobody ever did, except that one lady..."

Tetsu no Tama sneered at her. "I'll see you on the other side, tormented spirit. When he lies dead and broken, we shall all be satisfied."

* * *

Erza felt the collision shake every bone in her body, and felt in a moment as if she would shatter. Her sword cut deeply into his shoulder, and in the same instant his sword slammed against her shield. Immediately, it shattered under the sheer force of his strike. Roaring out his pleasure, he brought his sword up for another blow, sweeping at her down and up from the side. Erza barely caught his blade, parrying the blow, but as he pulled the sword upward, the force was too much, and she was flung off her feet, sent flying back and spinning around a full three-hundred and sixty degrees, before she desperately twisted her body and managed to land on her feet. Her knees cried out in protest, and the ground under her feet cracked as she still slid back. Kenpachi wasted no time, charging forward again with his sword raised, and Erza quickly grabbed her longsword in both hands, parrying his attacks. They came in quickly, much more quickly than a mere brute like him should be capable of- it was as if his excitement had allowed him to tap into skills he did not even use before.

She had chosen to start off her bankai in its base armour, which was fairly general- it made her a little tougher and a little stronger, but offered little besides that. Now, under the weight of Kenpachi's raw force, it was only barely enough. One strike glanced against her shoulder, and to her dismay, the blade not only nicked or dented the armour, but cut through it as well. Her armour, powerful as it was, would do little to stop a direct attack.

But armour was far from the true strength of her bankai. Just barely she caught one of the demon's attacks head-on, straining under the force of his strength, and rolled to the side. He stumbled forward, and it took him a second to change direction. Erza got to her feet, and the second was all she needed.

"Requip: Heaven's Wheel!" she roared. In an instant, her resplendent base armour was gone, replaced by a lighter plate covered by a mesh of armoured scales. Great metal wings took shape behind her back, formed from the same kind of scales. She was covered from top to bottom, leaving only her head free. With a thought, she dismissed her longsword, exchanging it for her twin katanas.  
Looking as battle-mad as ever, Kenpachi sped toward her again, but he was surprised to find her dodging under his guard, leaving a quick cut to his side as she ran past him. He turned around to pursue her, but Erza was already dashing back at him, moving her blades with ferocious speed. He cut at her with a sideways sweep, but she caught the blade with one of her own, redirected the force of his blow into the ground, and ran him through with her free blade. Undeterred, Kenpachi cut at her again, but Erza was fast now, her movements by far outdoing his own, and it seemed most strikes wouldn't even hit. She would simply dodge, evade, move out of the way, while leaving one cut after another at no expense to herself. Kenpachi stubbornly continued his assault, and Erza grunted with frustration.  
She was winning, in this form. Heaven's Wheel sacrificed protection for added speed, and it was exactly what she had needed. But the mad captain was still unbelievably powerful, and it seemed like to him, defeat was something that happened to other people. It was time to up her game.

Quickly moving back, covering twenty yards in a single second, Erza let her wings move. Kenpachi was hot on her heels, and she only barely had the time to let herself be lifted up into the air, out of reach of his sword. This had to be done quickly; Heaven's Wheel only allowed her to fly for so long- she still had not fully mastered her bankai, not by a long shot.

"HEY!" Kenpachi snarled. "You get back down here! Don't shit on this with that bullshit!"

"Be patient!" Erza cried back, and circled around him. "This won't take a minute!"

As she made her second circle around the man, soaring a good thirty feet above him, there was a glow in the air, and row upon row of swords manifested in the air, well above two dozen. Tenrin Circle Swords, a technique of old reborn in her bankai, never before used in true combat.

"Dance, my swords!" she cried, and the swords began to spin, each one taking aim for Kenpachi.

The blades rained down, each one fixed on the demon captain. Kenpachi didn't even bother to dodge or block, simply keeping his eyes fixed on Erza up in the sky. A cloud of dust was kicked up as the swords impacted, and Erza swooped across the battlefield, trying to get a view. She could sense him, still there, still strong and blazing wildly...

"Stop kiddin' around!" Kenpachi cried. The dust was settling, and the man casually pulled a sword out from just beside his neck, seeming unaffected by the foot or so of steel. He looked a little like a pin cushion, most blades having hit, but few having done much damage.

She had expected this, though. She made one last swoop, and while still in the air, both her arms and armour changed. The light scale plate exchanged for the fiery red Flame Empress, enveloping Erza in blazing hot fire, and her swords for Breaker, the two-handed axe. Her weapon burning almost white-hot, propelled forward by the momentum of flight, she cut hard at him, timing her strike perfectly. Rather than blocking, Kenpachi counter-attacked, but Erza had anticipated this. She could feel his blade rip into her side as she twisted to the side, just as her axe connected in a wide sideways swing. It lodged firmly in the side of his chest, its fiery edge searing and burning his flesh.

"That-that's better!" Kenpachi snarled, his face twisting a little, into a grimace. He was not entirely immune to pain, it seemed, although it did little to slow him down. Erza pulled free her axe just in time to dodge under a vicious horizontal cut, and hopped back. She wasn't done yet. She hopped back quickly, letting out a large gout of flame, creating a smoke screen between her and the mad captain. Quickly, she let her armour change once more.

"Giant armour!" she cried out, and around her the plate reshaped once more, bright yellow with a black cross on the chest and huge pauldrons covering her shoulders. In her hand, a lance had formed. This was a powerful weapon, one that could possibly end the fight... possibly.

"De-Malevo Lance!" Erza cried, and charged, thrusting the weapon forward, spearing Kenpachi squarely in the gut. The weapon was still difficult to use, one she could use only once per battle, but against a vicious brute like Kenpachi it was all she needed. Fast and furious, the lance propelled forward like a jet engine, leaving her hand, and Kenpachi immediately went flying in the direction of Erza's thrust. He slammed through several buildings on his way like they were made of papier-maché, before finally colliding with a particularly thick storage building. As the spear at last ran out of momentum and stopped, it exploded, showering blood and gore from Kenpachi's gut.

Erza raced after it, having switched to the Heaven's Wheel to reach him quickly, and noticed that she was already starting to tire- these quick switches were necessary, but each one drained her power. She had not yet mastered her bankai, after all.

Kenpachi stood up again, looking a bit like a sluggish boxer. The wound in his gut looked grievous, sure enough, but it seemed mostly to just seep a bit of blood. That lance, Erza knew, could have killed a Vasto Lorde. Kenpachi was still there, still fit to fight.

"Now ya _really_ got me goin'!" he roared, and surged forward. Erza, shocked, brought up a sword to try to parry, but he batted it aside, and with one quick cut he slashed right through the armour like it were made of cloth, cutting Erza diagonally. Taken aback and in pain, Erza jumped back, her armour changing just in time to face the captain again. Thick, dark blue plate, stronger than anything else in her arsenal, it was her Adamantine armour, aided and boosted by two triangular halves of a shield floating in front of her. This was the best defence she had, but it came at the cost of having no offence whatsoever.

Kenpachi cut into her with wild abandon, seemingly redoubling his efforts, and Erza grit her teeth, her shield shaking under his blows. She had hoped- foolishly- that her lance attack would have finished him, or broken his back, or at least sent him reeling hard enough that she could continue to lay into him, hit him hard and fast. Instead, he was fighting back like a man possessed, and Erza couldn't even strike back. But, this bought her some time. Kenpachi batted away at her stubbornly, and her bones ached and rattled, but she had an idea. Slowly, she let her power surge...

"Can't hide forever!" Kenpachi shouted, making Erza's defence tremble with each hit.

"I'm not planning to!" Erza shouted back. Just for one second, her shields opened, and holding up her arm, two fingers pointed at her opponent, her entire form crackled with blue energy.  
"Hado forty-four: Byakurai Ken Chaji!" she roared. The energy surged forward, electric and powerful, hitting Kenpachi point blank. It was one of the highest level offensive spells she was able to muster, having muttered the incantation as quickly as she dared. His body twisting under the energies, Kenpachi nevertheless remained standing. It had not been enough.

"Ya gotta... do... better..." Kenpachi said through gritted teeth. The lightning dissipated, and he surged forward, headbutting her. She staggered, and with surprising agility, he swept her feet out from under her with one leg, landing on her back.

"That's a hella strong armour!" Kenpachi hollered happily. "Let's see how hard it is!"

Grabbing his sword with both arms, he stabbed down, pushing against her chest-plate. The armour held firm, but creaked under the pressure, badly strained. Kenpachi grunted, pushing harder, and to her horror, Erza felt the tip of his sword against her skin. The first part done, the armour pierced, he started to push it firmly through, agonizingly slowly. Erza screamed, feeling his sword pierce her almost halfway through its length.

"Now that's hard work," Kenpachi said approvingly, and yanked out the sword. Erza gasped at the pain as it exited, and stumbled to her feet. He made no move to attack her; after all, what he wanted most was not to kill her, but to fight for as long as they both were able.

"It'll be harder still!" Erza sneered, taking a couple of deep breaths. She was running low on energy, and she would soon be exhausted- she had used a _lot_ of her bankai's power in a very short time, and it took its toll, as did the grievous injuries Kenpachi had given her. Still, she would not give up. Even if victory was on the far end of a googol, you still tried...

"Requip: Morning Star!" she roared defiantly, and her armour changed once more. A resplendent white plate covered her, two short cloaks in orange draped over her shoulders and round her waist, lined with yellow. It was her energy armour, one that would let her use kido more naturally. It was not her strong suit, but at this point, she was willing to try anything. Surging into the air, twin katanas equipped, she swung her blades valiantly, and wave after wave of raw, destructive energies showered over Kenpachi.

"Just DIE!" Erza screamed furiously, and realized that a small part of her actually wanted that.

"Ya gotta do better!" Kenpachi cheerily cried back.

Erza let out a frustrated groan. Mustering what energy she had left, she let her reiatsu surge, almost to a dangerous level, blue energies coursing through her blades. It was about time she tried this; it should do the trick. Flying right at Kenpachi, she halted at the last second. Surprised, his guard was in the wrong place- but Erza wasn't looking to pierce his guard. She was looking to destroy him.

"DRAGON STRIKE!" she cried out with all her strength, releasing the energies as she cut forward with her swords. It had been so hot and so hard that it had nearly burned her, had nearly spiraled out of control. The blast had obliterated several nearby buildings, the excess force bouncing off Kenpachi alone having been enough to wreak havoc on them. The discharge, she would learn later, had been seen all across the Seireitei. Surely... surely this had to...

Singed from the attack, and clearly not unhurt, Kenpachi stood tall as the dust settled. His shihakusho, already torn, was slashed to pieces, leaving his chest exposed, only parts of his pants remaining.

"Good hit," he said simply. "My turn."

Batting one of her swords aside, he came down with a quick vertical cut, slamming into Erza's shoulder. She saw it, tried to dodge, but it was too late. It cut deeply into her right shoulder. Erza staggered back, fresh blood soiling her white armour. Kenpachi gave her no respite, charging forward again, and Erza was hard pressed to hold him back. Her wound slowed her arm, making it difficult to move her swords as quickly as she wanted. It was only a matter of time before he'd hit, and unlike Kenpachi, she couldn't afford to be hit like that more than a few times.

Her steps quickened by lightning, she used a shunpo to move back, putting some distance between them.

There was nothing for it. She had been foolish to not use it from the start. Taking a deep breath, she let the armour change once more, along with her weapon. As Kenpachi came at her once more, she stood tall in pitch-black plate mail, a massive, thick sword hefted in both hands, so large that it resembled more a slab of iron than an actual sword. A dark helmet covered her entire head. Purgatory armour. Render. Her two strongest, but most disliked pieces.

They were both born from her darker side. Her anger, her fear, her despair... Tetsu no Tama was a reflection of herself, and like her, he too had felt these things. From them, he had forged arms and armour that fed on the chaos and fury of war, that fed on the adrenaline-fueled emotional instability of a true, genuine fight. She could feel him singing in her soul, eager to lock blades once more with the demon. Kenpachi came. She was ready.

Catching his sword, she roared out angrily and pushed back, and to her surprise, she even overpowered him, forcing him to take a step back. Purgatory was strong in itself, but one of its greatest assets was how it made the pain become... reduced. She barely felt her wounds anymore. This was as much a benefit as it was a danger, as she could bleed out, or overexert herself easily if it went on too long. She pushed those thoughts aside. She _had_ to win.

She cried out again, her voice sounding like an inhuman shriek, and she shoved the giant back, following up with a massive horizontal swing. Kenpachi brought up his sword as if to guard, as if he sensed the danger, but the sheer power of it was too much, and he only softened the blow. She drew blood as it slammed into him, and the raw power of her attack knocked him over. She was overcome by a desire to hit him when he was down, cut his head off...

No. That was _not_ who she was, even now.

"Damn," Kenpachi muttered, getting to his feet. He looked even more sluggish now, and spat out a healthy amount of blood. "I ain't lost my footing... long as I can recall, really."

Erza cried out again, charging forward. As if distant, she could feel her body protest, cry out in pain, but it was... like it was somebody else's hurt, somebody else's problem. Launching into a set of slow, heavy swings, she forced Kenpachi to stay defensive. Just a few more good hits like those...

"Damn, woman!" Kenpachi said, something profound in his voice. He deflected one of her attacks, and like Erza had done so many times, skipped a few steps back to gain some space. She could feel Tetsu no Tama inside her, crying _kill him kill him kill him_, but Erza restrained herself. A berserker, she was not.

"If it keeps goin' like this... I'm actually gonna die," Kenpachi said simply, sounding like a drunk sobering up. "Never saw that 'un coming."

"Scared?" Erza spat, her voice distorted through her helmet.

"No," Kenpachi said. He held out his sword. "Just means I gotta put my back into it. Let's see..."

He then grabbed his sword with both hands, taking a stance Erza recognized. _Kendo._ He... actually knew that?

She had used every bit she had in her arsenal. He had grabbed his sword by both hands. It was so absurd, she could have laughed, or cried, or roared with anger. But she did none of these things, instead resolutely charging forward. She was tired. So, apparently, was he. Render's raw power, and Purgatory's strength and offence would have to be enough.

They both launched into heavy two-handed swings, slow only by the standards of elite fighters such as themselves. It was sobering to fight him like this. His sword held in both hands, his swings were equally as powerful as the slow, destructive swings of Render. Although his form was poor, no doubt seldom practiced, it was enough for him to keep up, tired and encumbered as Erza was. It was a shocking, even obnoxious realization that his style of wild berserkagang was by choice, not by nature. If only Render had been faster...

It was her single most powerful individual sword. A few more solid hits would win her the fight, she was sure. But, this power came at the cost of speed. Normally, a shinigami's weapon was light, made of spiritual particles rather than actual hard steel, but Render's power lay in raw force, and gathering it in sufficient amounts made the blade just as heavy as it looked.

Kenpachi looked different, too. He was focused, his mouth a straight line, that overjoyed grin having given way to concentration. He was slower and weaker than before, and it became obvious that he, too, had his limits, that her attacks had done real damage. Then again, Erza, too, was slower, weaker. She considered changing armours again; a burst of speed would serve her well... but she didn't dare to. Expending more energy might burn her out entirely, and if she took off Purgatory, she would feel the full weight of her injuries and exhaustion. Even if she could possibly adjust to that, it was a risk she dared not take. So, she slugged away, ignoring the burning in her arms as she forced herself to lift her heavy blade again and again.

Then, slowed by her armour and blade, she failed to guard herself. Kenpachi dodged under one of her heavy swings, stabbing forward with his sword. It caught her not far beneath her neck, running halfway through, and Erza let out a gurgle, her eyes widening. She spat blood, her grip on Render loosening.

"Fuckin'... finally..." Kenpachi grunted, out of breath himself.

But, he had forgotten one thing. Where he had one sword, Erza had an armoury. Grabbing hold of his wrist firmly with one hand, she let Render change into a spear, and thrusting forward, she returned the favour, her spear cutting right to the top and centre of his chest. Tiredly, he tried to evade, but Erza's grip held firm, powered by desperation and sheer stubborn unwillingness to yield. For a few seconds they stood like so, both having pierced the other, both at the end of their ropes. Then, they shot each other a look of mutual understanding, and Erza let go of his wrist. In one motion, the two ripped their weapons free, and both would have yelped with pain if they'd had the strength left to do so. They both staggered, struggling to stay on their feet, both dazzled and dizzy by their many injuries, the blood they had lost, the hits they had taken.

_Stand tall, my master!_ Tetsu no Tama roared in her mind. _He is alone, but we are two. Victory is within our grasp. Stand tall just a little longer. You and I are Fairy Tail!_

Her sword had never referred to itself like that before, and something in the phrase, in that familiar name, stirred Erza to action. Half-unconscious, she felt Render form in her hand again. Her arms, her entire body groaning in protest, she grasped the hilt, and lifted the sword again. It was held low, and when she struck it wasn't half as powerful as it should be, but it was enough. Kenpachi, still trying hard to stand up, brought his sword up by instinct to block, but it was too late. Like a club, the huge sword swung into his side, snapping his arm and slicing into his ribcage. The force knocked him over, and Erza knew she was finished. Render disappeared, its master too weak to maintain it, and her bankai began to dissolve. She simply had no energy left with which to hold it. She felt her sword sealing itself, returning to its normal state, and her knees gave in. She sunk down, planting the sword in the ground simply to keep herself upright. For a couple of minutes she stood like so, trying simply to not fall unconscious. After a while, she managed to raise her head, open her eyes and see...

They had wrecked most of everything around them. Everything she could see from where she stood looked like a war zone. Soon enough, when the dust settled and they could be sure the fight was over, there would be high-ranking officers-

Kenpachi let out a groan, and Erza couldn't believe her eyes. He was awake, just like her. Gradually moving his one good hand, he propped himself up, slowly as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders. Struggling every step of the way he forced himself up to a kneeling position, then started to stand.

"Fuck... me..." he groaned. "Yer somethin', all right..."

Using her sword as a crutch, ignoring the screams of protest running through her body, Erza forced herself to stand. He was still alive. No less, he was still holding his sword, as if ready to fight. It really was utterly unbelievable. He looked like he had gone through a meat grinder, his body covered in massive cuts, bruises, blood and gore, and there was barely any skin showing on his body through all the red. Erza suspected she didn't look much better, herself.

"Ain't over... till it's over..." Kenpachi said, stumbling forward and making ready for a vertical cut, slow, clumsy, and thrown off by exhaustion.

Erza forced herself to react, but could barely move. Her sword had broken in half, she noticed- when had that happened? Had she expended that much power?

As the cut came toward her, she took a deep breath, and realized she probably had multiple broken ribs. Still, she summoned whatever fighting spirit she had left, and dodged under his slow, clumsy swing. All out of finesse, she stabbed her broken sword forward, running it into his wound-ridden gut. Roaring out, with strength she didn't knew she had, she pushed it in to the hilt. Kenpachi grunted with pain. Fury rose in her chest again. She had done _everything_ she could. She had given it all she had. She had taken pain and injury galore. How _dared_ he still stand?  
She roared, out of her mind, and holding onto the hilt of her sword, she pushed forward and up. Kenpachi lost his balance, falling over her, but rather than collapse under his weight she hoisted him up over her head, speared on her broken sword like a pig on a sticker. Once she had lifted him as far as she could, she quickly pulled out her sword, took a step to the side, and as he fell down she caught his neck in a lariat, flipping him around entirely. He landed with a loud slam, the ground beneath him shaking, and Erza stood over him, victorious. He was not getting up this time.  
She breathed heavily, looking at her opponent's mauled, broken form. He was still breathing, still alive despite all this, and she realized this had been the single hardest fight of her entire life. She had narrowly beaten Kenpachi, demon of Zaraki, champion of the Gotei and wanton murderer. He lay before her feet, helpless.  
_End it,_ Tetsu no Tama said excitedly.

As if sensing her thoughts, Kenpachi looked up at her, somehow not yet entirely unconscious.  
"Gonna... finish it?"

Erza stared at him blankly. Part of her wanted to. Part of her wanted this destructive murderer gone. He didn't deserve mercy. He was one of the worst _things_ about the Gotei.  
But another part of her looked at a broken, beaten opponent, helpless to defend himself, and knew that to murder a murderer still made one a murderer.

"Why?" she snarled, struggling to stay upright. That little surge of power had left her dizzy, weaker than before. "Why all this? Why... why do you kill people? And why didn't you kill Ichigo or Renji?"

"Killin'...?" Kenpachi muttered. "Ain't about killin'. Never was."

"So, what, then?" Erza snarled. "Coming at people with a sword isn't about killing?"

"Fun," Kenpachi said quietly. "'S all about... fun. Ain't nothing in the world I live for more'n... havin' a good time. Nothin's a good time... except fightin'."

Erza balled her fist. What a sick and mad mind that made for!

"You're a killer."

"Sometimes," Kenpachi admitted. "If yer gonna kill me... get on with it. I die like this, I die a happy man. But talkin', that ain't my strong suit. Go... ahead."

He closed his eyes, and Erza sensed the shift in his reiatsu as he fell truly unconscious. She could, even in this state, cut into his neck and take his head off. Not even he could survive that. Tetsu no Tama would love and respect her more than ever. Her friends would understand. Nobody would know it was murder.

Nobody would know except Erza. That was the crux of it. _She would know._

Letting out a frustrated noise, she turned her back on Kenpachi and started waddling back in the general direction she knew she had left Ichigo. She had priorities, after all. To hell with Kenpachi. To hell with everything else. She had to... look out for... her own.

* * *

Rangiku bit back the urge to groan. Being skewered was not a pleasant sensation; it was easily the fourth worst thing that had ever happened to her. But, although she carried herself more like a cheery socialite than a warrior, and although she preferred the shopping lanes to the practice yard, she was a soldier. When it mattered, as it did now, she knew how to bite her tongue and do what had to be done.

So, she had done what she could for Ichigo, and then for Renji. The two of them were stable, although still unconscious. Which was for the best, given the state they were in. Her first aid had been pretty basic, as she was only as capable with medical kido as could be expected for the typical vice-captain. She had stopped the blood flow, muttered a few spells to reduce the pain, and dared to add a little something to boost their natural healing factor. It had been all she could do, and after that had been finished, then and only then had she tried healing herself.

Walking was a pain, literally so. She had considered moving the two of them as the fight ensued, but decided against it- being moved now could make things worse, and she could just about walk normally with some effort. Carrying a grown man, that was another thing altogether.  
So she had sat huddled by a wall, watching over Ichigo and Renji, feeling, _seeing_ the battle. There had been flashes of kido, huge tremors and explosions, and a flash of light that everyone across the Seireitei were sure to have seen. It had sent shivers of terror down her spine, thinking of the two of them fighting. Rangiku had known Erza back in the day, and she had been monstrously powerful. Driven, strong, determined to be better...

But Zaraki Kenpachi had always been in a class of his own. It was rumoured only the eldest of the captains would be able to handle him if he ever turned against them. Now Erza was fighting him, and judging by the way the fight went on- it had to have been an hour, at least- she wasn't going down easily. Ironically, but not unexpectedly, Kenpachi had done far more damage to the Seireitei than any ryoka could dream of.

Then the reiatsu signatures, which had blazed so strongly, began to weaken over time. Then, they went quiet entirely, returning to levels low enough that they couldn't easily be sensed, and Rangiku knew that Erza had died.

"You poor soul..." she muttered to herself, feeling oddly moved. A traitor dying, albeit an old friend, shouldn't mean that much.

Sitting back, waiting for the reinforcements that would surely come in as the dust settled, she simply continued watching over her charges. Slowly, she closed her eyes. What a day...

It was no small surprise to her when she first felt it. Weak, worn but not beaten, pulsating like a heartbeat, like any reiatsu would...

It couldn't be.

She opened her eyes, and looked down the street. Looking more like a mangled corpse than a healthy soul, there was Erza Scarlet, limping down what was left of the street, taking each step like it was her last. Gaping, Rangiku just stared. What on Earth? How... had Kenpachi _lost_?

"How are they?" Erza rasped as she came within speaking range, against all reason still walking and talking.

"Uh..." Rangiku mumbled, still gaping. Snapping herself out of her shock, she managed, "I, um, fixed them up. Best I can. They'll live, but they need healing. So do I..."

Erza nodded, looking exhausted. She seemed even worse up close; she had been stabbed and cut all across her body, and had her clothes been white, they would surely have been dyed a messy red by now.

"...how are you still alive?" Rangiku said, too taken aback to think of anything else.

"I'm not sure about that myself," Erza muttered. "He's okay, though?" She pointed at Ichigo.

"-Ish." Rangiku nodded. To her further surprise, Erza bent over with a groan, and picked up Ichigo in a bridal carry, like before.

"Are you crazy?!" Rangiku exclaimed. "You look half-dead! You should be lying down, not walking, much less carrying somebody else!"

"Nothing... for it," Erza groaned. "Renji and you, you'll get medical attention from Fourth. Ichigo and I, we still have work to do."

"You're insane!" Rangiku nearly shouted, forgetting about her own pain. "You're almost out of reishi entirely, you're looking like a walking corpse, and the least you should do is sit back and let yourself be taken in! Unohana will see you back in shape, even if you're an enemy."

"Can't," Erza said, shaking her head. "not finished yet."

"You're impossible!" Rangiku scoffed. "Good luck getting out of here without being caught, in that state!"

Erza smiled, which looked terrifying more than reassuring in her current state, and said,  
"Thank you, Rangiku."

"I... don't mention it," Rangiku muttered.

Erza turned around, and started walking away, with Ichigo in her arms, limping all the way.

"Damned fool!" Rangiku cried out, but her heart wasn't in it. To think... to think _Kenpachi_ was beaten. By Erza Scarlet. There was no other possible conclusion, and the very thought scared her. Erza Scarlet... just what kind of enemy had she become?

* * *

**First of all, some words from our writer, Greatkingrat88:**

**"And she stands victorious! This was an intense thing to write, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Now, it may seem odd to put something so climactic in the middle of the arc- but we just had to. Rest assured, there will be more to come that is just as epic."**

**I sure hope that we meet, or even surpassed all of your expectations for this battle. We've spent alot of time and put in alot of effort to make this battle as epic as possible. I wanted to make sure that this battle gave both fighters justice, and give a battle appropriate enough for the fight. Thats why it took so long to come out, there was A LOT of fine tuning put into this battle.**

**Now before we end this chapter, we have something that need to be addressed.**

**The first thing id like to talk about is ****the recent fairy tail chapter This will contain spoilers for it, so if your not caught up, I suggest going to the actual chapters...Well, we all saw one of the twists coming a mile away, that Irene is Erza's mother... but none of us saw the other ones coming! Erza's mother...is the Queen of the Dragons! Not just that, but she also invented dragon slaying magic!**

** That...is awesome! Will I be able to do something with it? Only time will tell. More information is needed. I know I will _WANT_ to for sure. I feel like i need to do SOMETHING with it, I really do, but things like this need to be handled carefully. I don't want to force it and I don't want to make her into a overpowered Mary sue.**

**We cant wait to hear what you all have to say about it! Really, we cant. Any and ALL feedback is needed and VERY much appreciated. **


	42. Consequences and Chaos

**Sorry for the wait everyone, somethings kinda got crazy before we got upload it. But hey, at the very least, we finally have ou next chapter out. It may not be the most exciting of chapters, but it does cover necessary ground to move forward. Besides, its good to have a more down to earth chapter after the exciting battle with Erza and Kenpachi. However, I'm still expecting this to entertain you all. Please let us know what you think in your reviews.**

**Thanks once again to ****Greatkingrat88.**

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

Groggy and tired, Isane stepped out of bed and headed for the kitchen. The shinigami were different from humans in many marked ways, but in others also very similar, and nowhere was this more apparent than in the absolute necessity for coffee to get your day started. With the accuracy of a near-zombified, mostly asleep addict who had done this a thousand times before- literally, and then some- she brewed a pot, her routine only interrupted by the odd yawn. The first mug took forever to cool, it seemed, and the scalding sensation as it went down her throat woke her up as much as the caffeine. More awake now, she yawned again, and sat down by her kitchen table for a bit.

A hell butterfly was waiting for her, and after receiving its message she was glad to be a bit dazed still- the emergency from yesterday had gone from bad to worse, and she was needed at the division post-haste. Normally, Isane would be there already, but her workload, which was intense as it was, had been more than doubled as wounded started to flood in from scraps with the ryoka. Remarkably, there had been no casualties as of yet, although more than a few broken bones, concussions and flesh wounds. Isane had seen to it with due speed, but she had already been doing a long enough shift as it was. Captain Unohana was very strict when it came to medical procedure, and one rule was that a poorly rested doctor was a bad doctor, and bad doctors got people killed. So she had been sent home to get a good night's sleep. She hadn't slept quite as well as her captain had hoped, although not out of concern or worries.

Now more awake, she headed back to the bedroom. It was about time she woke up-

As she passed through the hallway to her bedroom, she saw it on the floor. She had been too dazed to notice before, but she saw it. There was a small drip of... surely it couldn't be blood? Curiously, she headed toward her living room. There was indeed the slightest spattering of blood. Not far from it, another. There was... a trail, actually, from the door and inside, small but noticeable when you knew what to look for. Anxious, not thinking very clearly, she stepped inside the living room, still dark; the sun had not yet fully risen. Her mouth fell agape, and her coffee mug fell to the floor with a clatter, spilling its contents over a simple rug.

* * *

Erza was not really aware of how she had managed to get here. She had snuck off in the night, making her way through the ruins. Having hid behind some rubble, she had evaded the patrols, the reinforcements, all of them rushing toward the epicentre of her titanic clash with Kenpachi. Her reiatsu was weak now, so weak she didn't even bother to try and hide it. Through some miracle, she had not only stayed awake, not only managed to carry Ichigo, but actually made her way here undetected. She had hid Ichigo in an warehouse not far from here. She was vaguely aware that she was in Isane's apartment, and although she couldn't really remember walking in here, it made sense. Isane was an old friend and a skilled healer, and both of those were things she needed right now. When she heard the clatter, it took a few seconds for her to register it; she had been sitting down on a couch, her eyes closed, without much of a plan.

She opened her eyes, and looked at the image of Isane, gaping like a fish.

"Um," she said tiredly, "hi. Long time no see."

* * *

Isane gaped for some time more, before putting her hands to her mouth. It was Erza, that much was clear. But that registered second; what she saw first was somebody mangled, so beaten-up and injured that it was a wonder she could have slipped in here at all. Her shihakusho was torn and hung loose from her body, revealing deep cuts and stab injuries. Part of her face had welled up, a nasty bruise covering most of the left side, and her right arm hung limp by her side. With her left, she lamely waved at Isane.

"Um, hi. Long time no see."

It was such a bizarre thing to say, as if... as if there wasn't twenty years of time lost between them, as if there wasn't treason, as if Erza wasn't the leader of an insurrection against the Gotei, as if she wasn't sitting there looking half dead.

"What the hell..." Isane mumbled.

* * *

"I um," Erza started, "I know me asking this is gonna be difficult, but... there's a boy out there with terrible injuries who needs medical attention," She forced herself to stutter through the words, feeling dizzy from the fight still. She might have gotten a concussion; her head hurt something fierce, although it seemed light compared to everything else on her body.

"You... are you serious?" Isane hissed, her voice a noisy whisper, the sound of somebody who wanted to shout, but couldn't.

"I got nobody else to turn to-" Erza said, but she was cut off.

"You come to me looking like _this_, and you ask for help for somebody else?!" Isane snapped. "Goodness, you... you haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"This?" Erza said groggily, making the sort of poorly balanced, lazy gesture with her hand that only those drunk or delusional with pain would make. "'s nothing. I'll live. Be just fine when I got a rest."

"Don't joke around!" Isane snapped. "What the hell happened to you?"

Erza was about to answer, but a sleepy voice came from the doorway of the bedroom.  
"Isane? You okay in there?"

"Y-yeah, it's fine!" Isane snapped, almost panicking. "There's uh, there's coffee in the kitchen."

"Good."  
Erza caught a faint glimpse of Nemu, wearing nothing but a well-used night shirt, heading into the kitchen.

"You wait here!" Isane hissed at her. "I'll go get rid of her, and in the meantime, don't you make a peep!"

"N-no problem..." Erza muttered. She closed her eyes again, as Isane headed back out to the kitchen.

* * *

The first thing she noticed was that she felt no pain. For a moment she wondered if she'd died and gone to heaven, but her mind now clear, she realized the absurdity of that thought. She looked around, and saw the familiar sight of the marble palace. Tetsu no Tama, then. Climbing the stairs into his domain, she saw the damage, just like before- many of the pillars cut in half or overturned, much of the floor wrecked or cracked, statues and vases shattered...  
But it didn't look nearly as bad as the last time. And, she noticed as she got closer, Tetsu no Tama had a triumphant smile on his face, even though his golden throne was damaged, cut and scratched. It was wide enough to almost be considered a grin.

"So..." she said uncertainly. She wondered what he'd think of her, having denied such an urgent request, to kill the demon of Zaraki. He seemed to be in a good mood, though...

"My master!" he said, standing up eagerly, rubbing his hands together. "Victory is ours."  
He could have said more, but the cheery, triumphant tone was plenty. He was fulfilled, Erza could feel it, overjoyed elated and fulfilled, an old wrong now righted.

"At no small cost," Erza muttered. She looked at her body, which in this world was whole and unbloodied, and she did not look forward to having to go back.

"Pain is the price of power," Tetsu no Tama said dismissively. "I feel it the same as you, my master, but I revel in it. I savour it. It is the freshest and finest reminder of the reality of our triumph."

"It was foolish," Erza growled. "I came here on a mission-"

"Dare not diminish what we accomplished!" he sneered. "We defeated one of the greatest champions the afterlife has ever seen, a warrior of legend. A monster and a brute, whose raw power and malice is renowned and feared among the greatest. Such a deed will live in history, and we shall be told of as the victors. He, the greatest of the Gotei, came at us with all he could manage, and he lost. Our faith, our power and our perseverance has been rewarded. Our hard work justified. Do you deny these things, oh master?!"

"...I do not." Erza said quietly. "I... I enjoyed defeating him. He is a monster, and he deserved to be put in his place."

Tetsu no Tama's eyes glowed with satisfaction, and his smile widened. "So I know. So I feel inside you, master, as you sense my feelings."

"You wanted him dead." Erza said flatly, unwilling to let the matter lie for too long.

"So I did," Tetsu no Tama said. He sat back down on his throne, lazily resting one leg over his knee. "He is a mongrel, a rabid dog, pond scum that knows neither honour nor pride nor glory, a beast that lives only for self-indulgence, with no purpose other than feeding his pseudo-masturbatory obsession with violence. I despise him. His existence is not justified."

"You hate him?"

"He dared humiliate and defeat us," the zanpakutou spirit sneered. "Hatred is only appropriate for such an indignity. Yet, you let him live. Why, master?"

His tone was not harsh, but inquisitive. His good mood had not left, Erza knew. Just how she knew she wasn't sure, she just did. Perhaps that was the bond between zanpakutou and master.  
"My mind was not clear at the time," she said evasively.

"Undoubtedly," he said, nodding in agreement, "but to say so is to suggest you might have taken his life if your mind was clear. Do not be dishonest with me, master."

"No, I did not kill him. I wanted to, at least in part. I wanted to shear his head from his shoulders for all the death and misery he has on his conscience."

"So why did you not?"

"I..." Erza said hesitantly, "I had a choice. In the heat of battle, I would perhaps feel some regret if I had killed him, although not much. But the moment he lay defeated before me, helpless to resist, it changed. To kill the defenceless is murder. It is dishonourable. It is cowardly."

"Even for a mongrel beast such as he?" Tetsu no Tama said scrutinizingly. He still smiled at her, and she felt this was another one of his tests.

"To be honest, it was not dishonour that held me back," Erza said. "It _is_ not honourable, but honour is not what concerns me here."

"Oh?"

"There are some lines I never want to cross," Erza said firmly. "Mayhap I will one day be forced to take a defenceless life. I hope I never will. But to take a life, to commit murder, that makes you not a killer, but a murderer. I am _not_ a murderer."

"Not even for somebody such as he? You spared him, but you may well find cause to regret it in the future. What if he were to slay somebody dear to you in retaliation?"

"If you're willing to become a murderer for a good reason, what's to stop you to become a murderer for a bad reason?" Erza said stubbornly.

Slowly, Tetsu no Tama chuckled, turning into full blown laughter. It was odd; she couldn't even sense an ounce of sarcasm or mockery. He just seemed... pleased. It was _weird._

He had to have noticed the look on her face, because he quieted down, a wide smile still on her face.  
"It is such a strange order of things, my master."

"What is?"

"You would think that blade and master would believe similarly. It is how we are constructed after all, to be like our masters. Yet I cannot find it in my heart to agree with you on this at all."

"You are a reflection of me," Erza said cautiously, "but you are also your own. Why this is so, I couldn't tell you."

"Indeed!" He shook his head. "I cannot agree. The mongrel's head should have been severed and put on a spike to warn all of our power. Yet at the same time, I understand you, my master. I understand why you believe as you do. It makes... sense, even if I believe you are wrong."

"So you won't take your powers away from me, then?" Erza said, daring to let a little sarcasm in.

"They are secure and solid as granite!" He said firmly. "You are once again honest with yourself, true to your beliefs... and our victory, of course, does not hurt."

Erza nodded. "I am glad."

Tetsu no Tama nodded back, regally and with dignity. "That is all, my master. See to repairing your body, and I shall repair my castle."

Quickly, the marble palace disappeared, and Erza, to her frustration, felt the aches and pains of her injuries. Groaning a little, she tried not to move- but just breathing was enough to remind her of what she had been through.  
Luckily, though, it seemed like Isane was managing to get Nemu out of there... whatever she had been doing there. It was rude to listen in, she knew, but she couldn't _not_ hear them.

"...I'm fine, really," she heard Nemu say.

"You're sure?" Isane said, genuine concern in her voice. "I'm sure I could talk to Captain Unohana-"

"I have to get back, and you know that."  
Nemu sounded much warmer than Erza had ever remembered- in fact, she had never heard her speak in any tone except her quiet, dispassionate, almost robotic voice. Now, she sounded... affectionate.

"O-okay," Isane said. "Still... when will I see you again?"

"Soon enough, probably," Nemu said.

Erza heard the sound of what was unmistakably a kiss, and then the door opening and closing as Nemu left. Not long after, Isane hurried back in, not looking terribly happy.

"So," she said, her arms crossed, still wearing her night-shirt, "what in the world happened to you?"

Isane did not sound like she was in the mood for anything but a direct answer, and Erza wanted to keep her happy. Not much to hide, anyway- the news were bound to have spread by now.

"Ran into Kenpachi," Erza said, and groaned.

"Dear god..." Isane said, paling.

"I won," Erza added, not without pride.

"Are you serious?" Isane quipped, momentarily distracted from the absurdity of the situation.

"Never much for bragging, me," Erza muttered. "You know that."

"I-I do. I believe you. It's just... he's _Kenpachi._"

"I know," Erza said, not without satisfaction.

"Don't you sound so smug!" Isane sneered. "Here you are, bleeding all over my couch, coming in unannounced..."

"Sorry about that..." Erza muttered.

"Twenty years!" Isane exclaimed frustratedly. "Not a peep, not the smallest hint, not a word, and, and-"  
She actually tore at her hair, looking more upset than Erza could ever remember seeing her.

"Isane," she said, forcing her voice to be firm and steady, "I'd love to talk to you, but right now, I need you to either turn me in or patch me up. I think I'll pass out soon if you don't."

Isane took a deep breath, looking at her with a mix of anger and concern, before finally her face softened. Drawing a very deep sigh, she said,  
"Wait here. I'll be right back."

"Can do," Erza said weakly. If she had been a bit stronger, she would perhaps remarked that she wasn't exactly in any state to go anywhere to begin with.  
Presently Isane returned, carrying an unwieldy black cloth bundle, which turned out to be a well-supplied medical kit. As Isane set it down on the table, opening it and grabbing a pair of sharp scissors, Erza could see medical alcohol, bandages, pre-prepared kido runes, a hundred and one small items, each one no doubt useful. That was Isane all right, proper and practical.

"What you gonna do with those?" Erza said groggily, as Isane came closer with the scissors.

"Shut up and let me work." Isane said, and with a safe and well-practiced hand, she started cutting up Erza's already torn shihakusho. In a matter of minutes, Erza had been stripped entirely, the bloodied, torn pieces of cloth discarded.

"You'd be surprised how often you need a good pair of scissors," Isane muttered. She took a closer look at Erza's injuries, plentiful and red, her entire body dyed red with cluttering, drying blood.  
"Good lord... you look like..." Isane shook her head. "I'm trying to think of a metaphor, but I can't think of one that's exaggerated enough. You look like you were run over by Kenpachi."

"Pretty much," Erza said, nodding weakly.

"All right, lie down. Can you do that?" Isane said, and gently took Erza by the arm. With some effort, and more than a little groaning, Erza was stretched out on the couch.

"Damn..." Isane muttered, nervously running a hand through her own hair. "Normal medical kido won't cut it, not the field variety. I'll need to sanitize every major cut, stitch it up, and then apply specialized kido for each individual body part. It'll take hours."

"What about your job?" Erza said, staring up into the roof.

"I'll come up with something. The Captain's understanding," Isane said dismissively.

Erza grit her teeth as Isane started to clean out the first wound with an alcohol solution, and through the fresh pain she marvelled at her old friend's attitude. She had come in unannounced, a traitor still, and no doubt given Isane a shock. But still she had immediately started to treat her, an enemy, rather than call it in like most other officers would. She was a doctor through and through, and, Erza suspected, a friend even after all these years.

"So..." Erza said, keen to distract herself from the pains, "you and- ouch- you and Nemu, huh?"

"Y-yeah..." Isane mumbled, carefully dabbing a long laceration across Erza's chest.

"How'd that happen?"

"It's um, uh... it's messed up," Isane said, and there was something in her voice, something like despair- despair that had been around long enough to be an old friend. "You know how her father is."

"He is scum!" Erza said with gusto, moving her head up.

"Keep calm, or it will be harder for me," Isane said calmly. "Yes, well um... as it is, she needs a doctor every now and then. She's his punching bag. She heals fast, but Captain Unohana wouldn't let it stand that he just... does that to her without treatment. I've been looking out for her since... I mean, well back in the day when you were still, um,"

"Loyal," Erza said bluntly.

"Th-that. So um... I mean, she leaned on me. A lot. She's... people think she's like a robot or something, just because she's an artificially created soul, but it's not true. I found that out myself."  
She was getting a bit flustered, Erza could tell.  
"I um, well, somewhere along the line we ah, became more than doctor and patient..." she trailed off.

"I understand," Erza said, nodding. She wasn't so clueless that she didn't know there were women who preferred women, or men who preferred men, but she hadn't really met anyone like that until now. She had no particular opinion on it, but she knew that Isane was the one fixing her up right now, and more importantly, a friend.

"I get to see her when he's hit her badly, and that's about it," Isane said, sounding tired. "It's been that way all the time. "We've kept it to ourselves."

"Because you're both..."

"Because of what _he_ might do," Isane said firmly. "I think my captain knows, though..."

Erza nodded, still digesting this knowledge. Two women. She wasn't sure how that worked. Then again, she wasn't all too sure how it worked between a man and a woman either. It occurred to her that, in fact, she had never been in a romantic relationship at all, so she was not one to judge anything.

"But don't you try and distract me!" Isane said firmly, a bit of anger returning to her voice as she continued her work, cleaning Erza's wounds one by one. "You have some explaining to do, Erza Scarlet!"

"Twenty years..." Erza mumbled.

"Yes, twenty years! Twenty years, after them showing all this evidence you were a traitor, after hours of being interrogated by the stealth force... what _happened_, Erza?"

"You don't think I did it," Erza said with a smile.

Briefly, Isane paused. "You stupid idiot," she said, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I told you, there was evidence."

"You don't believe it, or you wouldn't have asked," Erza said, almost cheerily.

Isane shook her head, and resumed her work. "I... don't think you pretended or put on a fake persona. I've worked as a therapist, if you recall, and I can read people well enough that I can usually tell when they're lying. Only psychopaths can lie _that_ convincingly, and you're not a psychopath. You had a lot of friends who knew you... but did you tell even one of them of your past?"

"Y-you mean..." Erza muttered. "I don't think anyone missed the news of... that."

Isane shook her head. "It's one thing to _hear_ about a massacre, and to hear what its survivors thought. You seemed normal, but I always wondered... was it that? Was that what made you change? It's not unusual for that sort of trauma to drastically alter a personality-"

"No, no," Erza muttered, both glad to have her friend give her the benefit of the doubt, and uneasy to be reminded of that incident. "It wasn't that. Maybe... maybe it made me more vulnerable, but that wasn't it."

"Well, what happened?" Isane insisted, and took out needle and thread. Erza drew in a sharp breath as Isane started making the first stitch.

"I..." Erza said. She was getting tired of telling the same story, but Isane deserved something, at least.  
"The, ow ow ow, the short of it... I can't tell you the whole of it, but in a nutshell: I'm guilty but not as guilty as they say I am, the evidence against me is most likely tampered with, and there's also an unseen force acting in the Gotei intent on its destruction." She said the words quickly, hoping they would seem believable enough.

"That's it?" Isane said skeptically.

"As much as I can give you," Erza said. "Believe it or don't believe it. What do you say, therapist?"

"...you don't seem to lie," Isane muttered, making another stitch, "but then again, you could also be delusional."

"But still you're not calling for my arrest."

"Who's to say I won't?" Isane said sharply.

Despite the pains, Erza's face split into a stupid-looking grin. "You won't."

"I could!" Isane insisted, with the tone of a person trying to sound stern, angry and authoritative, and failing on all three counts. "I could have officers here within five minutes, I'll have you know!"

"Yes, you could," Erza said cheerily. "You won't, though."

"You're _impossible"_, Isane said frustratedly.

"Pretty much."

Isane muttered something inaudible, and gave Erza a sullen look. "Erza Scarlet, you're either the most genuine, most-difficult-to-disbelieve person I ever met, or the most cunning, conniving psychopath known to history."

"You do believe me," Erza said, her grin going wider. "I didn't even have to get stabbed this time."

"Shut up and let me work," Isane said irritably, but there was no mistaking it- although upset, although shaken and a little irritable, Isane believed in Erza.

She hadn't been kidding about the kido, though- it was well over four hours later when the two of them stumbled out into the Gotei, against Isane's protests, Erza in a borrowed set of shinigami robes, to find Ichigo.

* * *

The sun had just risen, and from a rooftop, well hidden from view through the power of his sword, Aizen Sousuke sat. Lazily, he was letting his legs hang free. It was unlike him to relax, to sit almost lackadaisical, but with what he had accomplished, with what was to come, he felt entitled to laze around for a few minutes. It wasn't as if anyone would see, anyway.  
He had come to admire his handiwork, to personally see how it would come across to whoever found it first. The corpse doll, aided as it was by his illusions, looked perfect. Blood smeared across the wall, pinned and stuck up like an insect, it was a sight sure to make an impact. Never do anything halfway unless there was a good reason to, such was his line of thinking. The body of Aizen Sousuke would not be found curled up in an alleyway with a small trail of blood, it was crucified and held aloft for all to see. The image was sure to get a rise out of old Yama- oh, how he'd have loved to see the old bastard's reaction, as things started to spiral out of control...

But he stopped himself. Gloat _after_ victory was complete, not before. Not that everything wasn't going just as he had planned, but still...  
He intentionally let his thoughts drift elsewhere. He had already thoroughly admired his own craftsmanship, as near perfection as it could be given the time he spent on it, so what else was there?  
Well, yesterday had been more amusing than he would ever have expected his last days in this miserable waste of potential called the Gotei. Anticipation for his coming victory had filled him with zest, not frustration- not as much as he had thought. Having met _her_ again had even put him in a good mood.  
She had become quite interesting. Striking out on her own had only emphasized her character; he hoped she had gained as much in terms of vision. Inferior, of course, but admirable nonetheless. He had sensed her bout with Zaraki Kenpachi, observing it keenly without his eyes. That she had beaten the mad dog would surprise all of the Gotei, he was sure, but he himself viewed it as no less than what she should be capable of. If she hadn't, she would be unworthy of the respect he had shown her. Insofar as Aizen had an opinion on Zaraki, aside from viewing him with the same quiet contempt he regarded all captains with, it was that he was a shameful waste of talent. He had the capacity to be the greatest swordsman in the universe- aside from Aizen himself, of course- but not only did he waste that, but intentionally suppressed it. It was disgraceful. That Erza- a fighter valuing technique over power- should defeat him, that was only right.

Then, he sensed a reiatsu signature approaching in the distance, and his lips curled up into a small smile. What delightful a turn of fate, that the first to come past his art would be Hinamori Momo.

Little Hinamori. He remembered with clarity how they had parted ways last night, him having said his goodbyes without her having been any wiser.

_"Hinamori." The words were warm, inspiring calm and confidence, and his little lapdog immediately lit up. The division was a mess; Aizen had felt with perfect clarity how one of the ryoka had given her a run for her money, destroying much of it in the process. She was stressed, he could tell, despite the brave mask of confidence that she so tenaciously kept up. Seeing him, however, had lifted her spirits greatly, and together they had co-ordinated recovery efforts, military reports, the thousand and one things that were necessary for a division in these chaotic times. Aizen had not even resented the work, fulfilling his duty with the relief of a worker knowing he had five minutes left of his shift before he could finally go home._

_"Captain Aizen!" Hinamori replied, looking up from the site she had been overlooking, a barracks still undergoing emergency repair from cursing, grunting shinigami. _

_"Would you speak with me in my office?"_

_She looked surprised. "Uhm, yes sir. But..."_

_"The efforts can wait," he said dismissively, and smiled. "You have done an excellent job in my absence. I am sure it won't collapse without you."_

_Her cheeks flushed with the praise, and Aizen felt a little sorry for her. She was a servant who craved approval from a superior to feel validated, so talented yet so ignorant.  
"Of course, sir," she said, nodding cheerily, and, Aizen noted, with some relief. This had been one of the toughest tests the division had faced for years, decades even, and she had held up well. Then again, the stress was probably just as much related to her fixation on Erza. Part of him was surprised she hadn't dropped everything and chased after her like a schoolgirl fawning after her crush.  
The two of them walked into his office, luckily still intact, and he motioned for her to sit down._

"I am terribly sorry I was so late," he said faux apologetically, now relishing his deception. "The captain-commander's call is absolute, as you well know."

_"Oh, do not worry, sir!" Momo said spiritedly. "I just followed your example, and kept calm and carried on. The others just sort of followed my lead."_

_Modest too, although she was certainly not so self-deprecating as to not know the extent of her skill as a leader._

_"You did well nonetheless. You were, in fact, the only vice-captain to win a battle today."_

_Momo's jaw fell open for just a second. "No!"_

_Aizen nodded. "Vice-captains Kira and Hisagi were defeated by ruthless and powerful ryoka. They survived and are recovering with minor injuries, I am told. So not only did you hold this division together, a feat in and of itself, but your combat skills seem to reign superior as well._

_He could see her beam with pride, mixed with genuine concern for her friends, and deeply wished he could laugh.  
"I..." she said, blinking, "I am so grateful for your commendation, captain. You said... the others would be all right?"_

_"Fully recovered, so Captain Unohana tells me," he said reassuringly. "Second divisions send their thanks as well."  
They had not, but why not embellish?_

_"You have indeed done well. The division is in good hands."_

_"Under your leadership!" Momo cut in quickly. "I only thought to myself of what you would do, sir, and I tried to do that."_

_Oh, if only she knew...  
"I am glad," he said. Putting on his kindest, most reassuring smile, he looked her in the eye. Time to make what would come sweeter still. "Should anything happen to me, I will know my vice-captain can hold this division up."_

_"Don't say that, captain," Momo said fiercely. _

_"Our time comes to us all, Hinamori," he said melodramatically, and he felt like anyone else would have recognized it as deliberate. Momo, swept up by emotion, did not. "In troubled times such as these, we have plenty to be wary of. After all... if they can defeat our elites, then captains may not walk safely either."_

_"She wouldn't do that!" Momo blurted out, and Aizen could tell by her face she had not meant to. Quickly she added, "I mean um, that's uh, that's not her style..."_

_"Your faith in friendship is truly heartwarming, Hinamori. I only hope life will not give you cause to doubt them."_

_"I-it won't," Momo said, seeming relieved she hadn't been reprimanded._

_"Enough so," Aizen said dismissively. "We have both worked hard, and so have all our members as well. I shall go wrap things up outside, and then go sleep. I suggest you do the same."_

_"Yes, sir," Momo said obediently._

* * *

Momo ran, a sense of excitement coursing through her. Her captain had been gone by the time she had woken up, no doubt out on some important errand. She herself had barely stopped to wolf down a rice ball for breakfast before rushing out herself, leaving the third seat in charge. It'd be a hefty burden for the man, but Momo could wait no longer. Officially, she was on a quick run to the other divisions to share and update intelligence regarding the Ryoka situation. To herself, in her heart, she was taking her first step to finding Erza. Word had reached them of her having clashed with Zaraki Kenpachi, although she knew of no information that confirmed anything with any certainty. They were loose rumours, and Momo insistently pushed away the thoughts of what might have happened. The demon of Zaraki was a truly terrifying enemy to face.

She dashed around a corner, and elatedly skipped forward. She would first head to sixth, then-  
It took a few seconds to register, and when it did, Momo slid to an abrupt halt before her mind could even catch up. The first thing she realized was the blood, dry, sticky, almost brown, having run down the wall copiously. She raised her head, and looked up. She opened her mouth and screamed.

The shriek could be heard for well over a block down, ear-piercing and heart-rending. If the noise wasn't enough to make it known something was wrong, then the abrupt pulse of Momo's reiatsu reacting to her emotions was. Feeling her pain, broadcasted like the beam from a lighthouse, Lisanna Strauss and Shuhei Hisagi were the first to drop whatever they were doing and run toward her.

Momo had sunk to her knees, eyes wide and mouth gaping. Her hands had found their way to her face, pressing into her cheeks hard enough to leave a mark. She felt as if she had run into a wall, as if the air had been knocked out of her lungs.

"Captain... Aizen..." She said, barely managing to speak, her words barely even a whisper. "CAPTAIN AIZEN!"  
Now the words came, loud and strong, and Momo once again cried out like a wounded animal.

Blood sprayed all across the far end of a division barracks wall, the body of her captain hung suspended, some ten feet up in the air. His face, normally so noble and kind, embodying everything a captain should be, hung limp and lame. A trail of blood ran down to his chin. It looked morbidly like he had spilled sauce while eating, the blood having turned more brown than red by now. The horrifying image before her robbed him of his dignity as well as his life.  
To Momo, though, this was not the first, second or third thought on her mind. She was trying to process it, to understand the unfathomable: that her beloved captain, kind and understanding, was no longer alive; that he had been foully murdered in the night.  
Feverishly, the thought entered her mind that it couldn't be real, that it couldn't be true. With the desperate concentration of a manic, she reached out, sensing for his energy, hoping desperately that it would not be there. To her horror, though, it read exactly as you would expect of a dead shinigami- his presence there, his energy fading, decomposing, as it evaporated and became one with the Soul Society. Momo cried out again, blind to anything but the pain.

Lisanna was the first to arrive, and the first she saw- naturally- was Momo, down on her knees and crying out, sounding like something inhuman, like something Lisanna had only ever seen in soldiers too traumatized by military action to act or even think like normal people. The second thing she saw, naturally, was Aizen Sousuke. For a second, she felt that sinking feeling, like a punch to the gut, but she composed herself. She had seen enough death in her time to not let it phase her- not outwardly, at least. Captains died, too.  
But... what could have done this?

It was beside the point. Quickly she ran up to Momo, grabbed the smaller woman by the shoulders, and forcefully twisted her around, forcing her eyes away from the morbid spectacle before them. Sinking down to her knees, she pulled Momo into a hard, firm hug, mostly to keep her still; she was shaking almost uncontrollably.

"Don't look!" She said harshly, her arms wrapped around Momo, one hand pushing the fifth's vice-captain's head into her own shoulder. "Don't look at him, Momo!"

Momo let out something unintelligible, and her shoulders shook, her arms almost instinctively returning the hug. She was letting out sobbing sounds, and Lisanna felt some relief- crying was a good way of processing grief; holding it in could mean it festered and did more damage over time.  
With Momo in her arms, Lisanna now faced the spectacle herself. What on _earth_ was this? Aizen was dead, that was clear. He had to have been slain recently, within the last six or so hours, judging by the coagulation of the blood. Erza? Out of all the Ryoka, she was the only one she could conceivably see being capable of this. Had they run into each other, fought...?  
Erza would never commit cold-blooded murder, that much she was sure of. But even if it had been Erza... then the whole of the Gotei would have known of it. Come to think of it, hadn't she been fighting Kenpachi? There was no way she could have beaten him- if that was what had happened- and then had enough energy to fight and kill another captain so smoothly. She narrowed her eyes, taking a closer look, as she gently rubbed Momo's back. There was a lot of blood, and he seemed quite dead, but each captain was a juggernaut in their own right. For him to have died like this meant either a surprise attack of such immense force that it killed him almost outright, or that whoever- or whatever- had killed him was so much stronger than him that the fight had been over before it had gone on long enough to wake anyone. Neither option seemed to fit any of the Ryoka, judging by what she knew, and the sheer thought of an enemy so cunning or so strong... she wasn't sure which one was more terrifying.

"Vice-captain Strauss!" She recognized Hisagi's voice, coming from behind, from where Lisanna herself had ran. "What the hell is going on- oh my _god!"_

"Keep sharp and alert the divisions, right now!" Lisanna snapped. "Get Fourth here- Captain Unohana is going to need to look at this herself. Get the stealth corps while you're at it, too!"

"Right-right," Hisagi muttered, sounding a bit shaken. "The hell... first the invasion, and now this? Is the world coming to an end, or what?"  
He was distressed, and Lisanna couldn't blame him. Although nobody lived forever, not even a shinigami such as Aizen, the death of a captain was always a major blow to morale. It was no wonder that Momo, whose tears were soaking Lisanna's shihakusho this very moment, was beside herself. She and her captain had always had good rapport, as far as Lisanna could tell, and they had been fairly close- the man was a father to all his men, to all the soldiers of Fifth, and that Momo had seen him like this...  
Lisanna felt ill at ease. Something was very wrong here.

* * *

Kyoraku Shunsui had, in his long time with the Gotei, learned to read his mentor and leader, Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai, quite well. The old man was the living embodiment of the Gotei itself, figuratively speaking, and carried himself with a dignity, aloofness and staunchness that stood for the very ideal of a shinigami- or what old man Yama believed it should be, at least.  
He was a hard man to read, though. Staunch and stoic as he was, he kept his emotions well hidden. Shunsui was sure the old man loved him and Ukitake the way a father loved his sons, but he would never say the words openly. Instead it manifested in other, smaller ways. The way he allowed them both to get away with little insubordinations, the way he allowed them to object or even protest, to challenge his decisions... to a certain extent.  
When his vice-captain had harshly woken Shunsui at half past five in the morning, informing him there was to be an urgent meeting with the captain-commander, he had seriously considered just going back to sleep. However, she had been insistent, and when he saw the messenger, his natural urge to lie back disappeared. He had looked terrified, and if Yamamoto had let himself lose his temper even in a small way, it had to be serious.

Now he stood in the captain's meeting hall, along with the captains who had answered the call, and he could tell his sensei was as angry as Shunsui had seen him in at least four centuries.

Attendance was sub-par. Ukitake was out sick, again, and Kenpachi was absent as well, and Kurotsuchi likewise. These three absentees were nothing unexpected, but to Shunsui's surprise, Aizen was absent as well, and that boy-scout of a man missing an official meeting was quite strange. The ones present still were himself, Soifon, Ichimaru Gin, Unohana Retsu, Kuchiki Byakuya, Komamura Sajin, Tosen Kaname and Hitsugaya Toshiro. Almost to a man, they looked displeased. Shunsui considered himself a fairly good judge of character, and what he saw was Soifon and Byakuya both looking haunted, yet making a comparatively decent effort to hide it. More subtle was the displeasure in Unohana Retsu's posture, although her kindly face revealed none of it, and Shunsui doubted anybody but old Yama could have dragged her from the medical unit in such trying times. Komamura and Hitsugaya both looked uneasy, although hiding it well, no doubt eager to be back at their divisions to lead the efforts- they were both professional to a point Shunsui considered unhealthy. Tosen seemed as stoic as ever, though, and Ichimaru... as usual, he carried that smile most people found unnerving. If Shunsui had found him at all threatening, he supposed he would have been unsettled too.

"A full day ago," rumbled Yamamoto, and to Shunsui, the anger in his voice was as clear as a shout, "we were invaded by _Ryoka._ Since then, barring the actions of the vice-captain of Fifth Division, not a single one of them has been apprehended. Dozens of officers have been injured, and multiple vice-captains have been defeated and seriously injured. Some are still in the medical unit."

Shunsui could see Unohana giving her captain-commander a look, one that spoke perfectly well to her feelings of the matter, but she kept quiet.

"A full day," he rumbled, "and you have all failed. This culminated in Zaraki Kenpachi facing the Ryoka known as Erza Scarlet. Much of the Gotei itself was destroyed, and he was ultimately defeated- and the Ryoka escaped, no less."

There were a couple of sharp intakes of breath, and Shunsui gave a whistle. Damn- she really had to have grown strong. He repressed the urge to make a smart comment; his sensei was not in the mood, that much was clear.

"Kenpachi?" Komamura said, his deep voice almost as impressive a rumble as old Yama's. "How can that be? The man is an animal."

"That is precisely why," Byakuya commented. "He knows no discipline, no restraint, no technique. He-"

"Bite your tongue, Kuchiki!" Yamamoto snarled. "A fellow captain has fallen, and your first instinct is to condescend him? In my eyes, you are no less of a failure- where were you when that happened? Why did nobody else intervene? Was that not close to your own division?"

Chastised and humiliated, Byakuya looked down to the floor, and mumbled, "My deepest apologies, captain-commander."

"And you!" The captain said, turning his gaze on Soifon. "Your unit _specializes_ in tracking and intelligence. How can you have failed to apprehend more than just the one suspect?"

Soifon fell to one knee, her head deeply bowed.  
"I have failed you, captain-commander. There is no excuse for such disgraceful behaviour."

Shunsui felt a little sorry for her, berating herself like that- they all had a hard time right now. Then again, that was probably the best way to handle it, with the old man this angry.

"I would know what you accomplished yesterday," he demanded mercilessly of the small captain. "What took up your time?"

"I..." Soifon said, gritting her teeth. "I was engaged by the traitor Shihoin Yoruichi. She seems to be in league with the Ryoka. I was defeated. The shame and embarrassment... was quite a blow, commander. I have shown myself unworthy."

"Is that so..." Yamamoto said, suddenly seeming distracted. "Two captain-class Ryoka at the very least. Clearly, this has been carefully planned. That explains how they made it so far..."  
His eyes narrowed, and sternly, he continued, "but by no means does this excuse any of you! Had I the option, I would demote all of you to be replaced by more competent leaders!"

Deciding to risk it, Shunsui took a step up.  
"That's real harsh, old man," he said mildly. "You said it yourself- this had to have been well planned, and if I'm not misremembering, Shihoin was the head of the Stealth Corps. Nobody would know the ins and outs of the Gotei better than her, no?"

"You will hold your tongue," Yamamoto rumbled angrily. "A handful of invaders defeating your best and evading capture for a full day is unacceptable, and you are not excused for this incompetence any more than the rest, Kyoraku!"

"We underestimated them," Kyoraku said with a shrug. "Let's just admit it. We all got complacent. The idea that anyone would dare invade the Gotei is so implausible, so audacious, that we never expected it to happen."

"It is no excuse for our failure," Byakuya said slowly, gritting his teeth as badly as Soifon. "The captain-commander is correct. This is inexcusable."

"Look to the future instead," Shunsui said, with a little cheer. "We can't undo yesterday. What we _can_ do is do better today. So the rascals got away? Big deal. They can't hide forever. Their leader- because that's what I presume Scarlet is- just got out of a scrap with Kenpachi, and she can't have gone far, because few are the people who could beat him and walk afterwards."

"Kyoraku's talkin' smart," Ichimaru said, lazily pointing at him with a thumb. "Let's see if we can't be rid of 'em now instead. Jus' a matter of time-"

"Silence!" Yamamoto erupted. "It is high time we-"

There was a loud thumping at the massive chamber doors, and all heads turned toward it. It would take either extreme audacity or extreme urgency to interrupt an emergency meeting, and nobody wanted to be the one to face the wrath of old man genocide.  
The doors opened, and a pale-faced messenger, most of his head obscured by the hat the men of his profession wore, stumbled in.

"Who dares?" Yamamoto snarled.

The messenger let out a small squeal, and sunk to his knees, abasing himself before the row of captains.

"Get up now, kid," Shunsui said warmly, figuring that a bit of friendliness couldn't hurt- if he was scared out of his wits, his message, whatever it was, would be that much harder to get out of him.

"Rise!" Yamamoto commanded. "Rise, and pray that whatever you have come to deliver is news worth our time!"

Trembling, the messenger stood up on one knee, head bowed deeply. With a voice straining to stay steady, almost shouting, he declared,  
"Venerable Captain-commander! I bring urgent tidings! The captain..." He hesitated, taking a few deep breaths, as if overwhelmed.

"Take it easy, now," Shunsui said. "Take a deep breath, and get it out."

The messenger nodded, and took his breath.  
"The captain Aizen Sousuke has been slain! His death has been confirmed by vice-captains Hinamori Momo, Hisagi Shuhei and Lisanna Strauss!"

For a moment Yamamoto remained silent. Shunsui wanted to whistle, but stopped himself; that was a bit too mirthful. A captain, beaten, and now a captain... killed? What on earth?

"Whoo-eee," Ichimaru said, giving a merry nod, "industrious, ain't our Ryoka? Offin' ol' Sousuke, takin' down officers left an' right-"

"Mobilize all forces immediately!" Yamamoto rumbled, in as close to a roar as he would come without fully losing his temper. "I want every shinigami fit for duty combing through every possible hiding spot in all the Gotei for those Ryoka! Soifon, put your best investigators in the stealth force on this! You will co-operate with Fourth- this needs the examination of our foremost scientists and health specialists as well. Leave no stone unturned!"

Shunsui took a deep breath. There was no arguing or contradicting or even commenting when the old man got like this, only obedience. Really, he wouldn't have cut in even if he had wanted to. A fellow captain was dead, and as laid-back as he could be about things, that was one line too many crossed. He sighed. Time to get everyone out of bed, break the news and organize as massive of a search as they could muster.

* * *

As far as Tatsuki and Orihime had come the previous day, their progress had been halted, much to their frustration. They hadn't gotten long before they had been hit by a team of officers, and they had barely finished them off before the next had come their way. They had both gotten plenty of opportunities to test their newfound powers, but it came at the cost of failing to reach their objective. By the time night had fallen, they had been through four hard fights, and with some effort they had found a little nook to hide in, where they had both slept uneasily. They had woken with stiff joints, aches from yesterday's fights, and without breakfast to boot. Hungry and tired, the two nevertheless continued on.

They made an effort to move quietly this time, to keep low and stealthy. It had seemed to work at first, but before an hour had passed, a group of six eager shinigami had cornered them. Tatsuki and Orihime managed just fine, but it become more and more apparent as they went on that in their team, they were the greenest members. The hell they had gone through training for this... only now did it dawn on them how inadequate it really was.

Their day was about to get worse, though. As Tatsuki irritably put the end of her staff into the forehead of an officer, finishing off the last fighter standing, she took a few breaths, letting herself calm a little. For a few seconds she looked down into the ground, her shoulders heaving as she breathed. She was not exhausted, not nearly, but if it kept going like this, they would both be worn down-

Oh no.

"Tatsuki, look!" Orihime cried; she had noticed it was well.

Tatsuki looked up, and further down the street where they stood, some six yards from where the beaten officers lay, stood a figure wearing the unmistakable captain's _haori_.  
He had the stature and build of a child, although his face made him look old. His hair was white, of a colour you'd expect to find on somebody who was a hundred, not with the body of a ten-year-old.  
Appearances were one thing. The power radiating off him, though, made it clear as day, if the white jacked hadn't already. This was a captain.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro, tenth division," Tatsuki muttered, paling as she dug into her memorized little data-bank that Erza had beaten into them all.

"Oh shoot, that's a 'do not engage', isn't it?" Orihime said, naturally looking less terrified than Tatsuki. In that moment, she envied the redhead.

"They all are!" Tatsuki snapped.

"You seem well informed," the young captain- or well, he could be many decades old, as far as they knew- said, his voice surprisingly deep and mature. He had the look of a child, but he carried himself like an adult.  
"You should know then that resistance is futile. Surrender."

"Like hell," Tatsuki muttered, but she couldn't help but wince when she remembered yesterday's beating from Captain Soifon. She hadn't even been trying, and Tatsuki had been as helpless as a newborn kitten.

"I'll make myself clear," Hitsugaya said, his tone firm, almost harsh, "you and all other Ryoka are currently wanted for questioning regarding the murder of one of our own. You cannot possibly hope to win. What I am getting at is: the more you resist, the worse it will be for you in the end. Come quietly, and I will see to it that you are treated humanely. That is as good an offer as you will get. Are we clear?"

Tatsuki glanced at Orihime, besieged by doubt. She didn't for a second disbelieve the little captain's statement, that resistance was pointless. She still wanted to defiantly stand her ground, to proudly wail against the oncoming storm- but after what had happened the day before, she knew all too well that whether you protested or not, a storm would wreck you entirely.

"What do you say, Orihime?" Tatsuki said, putting on as confident an air of defiance as she could, "do we give in or do we fight back?"  
She tried to sound cocky, but part of her wished very much to come quietly.

"Erza wouldn't just give in," Orihime said stubbornly, with more spirit than Tatsuki. Damn it all...

"No, she wouldn't," Tatsuki said firmly. "No matter what, you try. That's the way of Fairy Tail. Isn't that right?"

"Sure is!" Orihime said with heart, and Tatsuki assumed a stance. Pain was a lesson in itself, that was the thought Tatsuki comforted herself. If nothing else, she would learn how to lose.

"Don't be foolish," Hitsugaya said, and reached for his sword. It was strapped to his back, its sheath dissolving as he grabbed it and pulled it free. It was long, almost too long for his size, but with shinigami, nothing ever seemed to fully make sense.  
"I will end this quickly. I cannot guarantee you will come out unharmed."

"Bring it, pintsize," Tatsuki said defiantly. She held her staff out, making ready. Stepping forward past the beaten officers, there was a slight glow about the little captain, and his eyes seemed impossibly blue. His power was beginning to rise and surge.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!" He cried out, and brought his sword down. Immediately, a monstrous, pale blue shape surged forward, and Tatsuki shivered; the temperature had suddenly dropped to sub-zero in a matter of seconds. Quickly, she and Orihime both jumped to the side, the creature surging past them, leaving the streets covered in ice. Not yet done, it reared its head in the air, and roared. It was a dragon, Tatsuki could see, like a dragon sculpted in clear blue ice, but alive. Its tail was attached to the blade of the captain's sword, which seemed to have grown a little, a chain hanging from its hilt. The dragon roared, and Tatsuki felt a chill run down her spine in the most literal sense, as its breath was like a winter gale. It reared its head, looking at her, and she knew it would come at her next. Deciding that perhaps being within striking distance of the captain was safest after all, she hopped forward, staff raised. Crying out, she came at him. Her staff struck hard and quick, and of course, it was not nearly enough. He blocked her strike effortlessly, staring at her, his gaze as cold as his sword.

"Unwise," he said, as Tatsuki pushed against him.

"You always try!" Tatsuki snarled, somewhere in between terrified and caught up in the heat of battle.

"Look down," he said simply.

Quickly, Tatsuki stole a glance downwards. Around her feet, ice was forming, climbing up her legs. She hadn't noticed it in the chill, the air already being cold enough to bite into the parts of her skin not covered by clothing.

"Damn it!" She cried out, desperately trying to move away. She managed to halfway wrench her left foot free, but it stuck, ice growing up to cover her legs, threatening to encase her entirely.

"Tsubaki!" Orihime cried, the little sprite flying out, slamming into the growing block of ice, shattering it. Tatsuki hopped back, her legs quite numb from the cold.

There was a storm brewing, although it seemed to be local, limited to an area around the little captain. A cold breeze was blowing, and she could see raw, blue reiatsu pulsing through the air, the dragon circling around them.

"For the last time, stop," Hitsugaya said firmly.

"I'll support you, Tatsuki," Orihime said firmly, ignoring him. "I'll do my best to shroud you. Go in hard and quick- maybe we'll surprise him. If we work together..."

"Sure," Tatsuki said, and swallowed, nodding to her friend.

If they worked together... they'd still lose.

But you always tried. That was the crux of it. Letting her own reiatsu surge, she held her staff out, and charged forward...

...and her movements slowed, everything feeling impossible, like wading through tar.

"Reiatsu moves slower at an appropriately cold temperature," Hitsugaya said. "A simple enough trick for subduing weaker opponents. Ryoka, I am hereby placing you under arrest-

There was a bright flash of light. Tatsuki had been lucky enough to be looking down at the time, but the light flooded everywhere. Even as she closed her eyes it went on for a couple seconds, glowing bright enough even through her eyelids. The cold seemed to relent a little, and she could move easier. Hitsugaya, she saw as she blinked, had not fared as well, clutching at his eyes and staggering back.

"Quick, you two!"

The words were whispered and quick, and Tatsuki was surprised to see a shinigami stand by her side, having dragged Orihime with her. The shinigami was short, undoubtedly female, with long green hair.

"What the hell-" Tatsuki started.

"No time!" She said, as harshly as she could without raising her voice. "Only seconds now!"

"Who...?" Orihime said.

"Friend of Erza's!" Said the shinigami, and sunk to one knee, quickly muttering a chant, drawing a circle in the ground with her fingers. To Tatsuki's surprise, the ground glowed golden where she moved her fingers, as if they were some fantastical pencil. Was this what they called kido?  
Tatsuki looked back at the little captain. His sword had sealed itself, and although he remained standing, he seemed to see nothing, his blinded eyes wildly moving about the place, seeing nothing.

"Come here, and take my hands right now!" Said the shinigami, still whispering her words feverishly. "No arguments, no nothing- take my hands, or you stay here and get captured. My shikai ability will only work for so long on a captain-class shinigami!"

Out of options, Tatsuki and Orihime took one hand each, and the green-haired woman muttered a few words, apparently completing the spell. All three of them went aglow, and then suddenly the world _shifted..._  
...and then Tatsuki looked up at the sunny morning sky, the air feeling overwhelmingly warm compared to the sub-zero chill they had just come from.

"Whoaaaa," Orihime said, sounding awed. "That was like, magic? Wasn't it?"

"Yes," The shinigami said, nodding and standing up. "Once I sensed the captain coming, I set up half of a teleportation spell here. I wish I could have set it up further away, somewhere safer, but... well, at least it worked."

"Well um, slow down," Tatsuki said, standing tall and revelling in the heat, her body slowly warming up again, "first off... who are you?"

"You can call me Nozomi." She said.

"Are you a friend of Erza's?" Orihime piped up cheerily.

"I am, yes," she said, with a smile.

"She was buds with a lot of people, huh..." Tatsuki said. "Still, how'd you find us?"

"I was out looking for you, actually. I was sent by... a friend."

"You mean Rod," Orihime said.

"The less I know, the better," Nozomi said quickly.

"Well... thanks," Tatsuki said. "Real timely save, actually. How'd you find us?"

"No offence, but you two make a mess," Nozomi said. "That and... well, the captain doesn't usually let loose unless he has to."

"Makes sense," Tatsuki said, nodding. "So um..." She looked around her; they were in a seemingly quiet place, quite a distance back. "What now?"

Nozomi sighed. "A captain was killed yesterday. The Gotei is on full military alert. For now, I'll take your somewhere safe."

"Oh no..." Orihime said. "But Rukia..."

"Is not going to be more or less rescued because you get yourselves caught." Nozomi said sharply. "Come with me. I only have so much time on my hands, you know."

Uneasily, the two followed her lead.

* * *

It was high noon, and Yamamoto stood on a balcony overlooking the Gotei itself, a natural extension of his primary office. The entirety of the first division, so rarely seeing action of this scale, was mobilized. So was every other division by now, all of them combing through the Gotei as per his orders.  
An event comparable to this had not happened for centuries. The sheer fact of a successful invasion followed by the death of a captain was... unprecedented. It was his task to rise to the challenge and lead them through this.

Shunsui, that disrespectful young rascal, had proven himself as sharp as usual. They had to look forward, find a solution now and worry about the implications later. He had been right in another thing, too. The threat had been underestimated. As hard as he had been on the captains for this, he was harder still on himself. They had grown complacent. They had grown comfortable, secure, too confident. That was his failure- _this,_ this entire mess, was his own failure, ultimately his responsibility. Who else was accountable but the head of the Gotei's military arm?  
Now a traitor, having achieved power equal to a captain of Kenpachi's calibre had led an invasion, along with one of the deadliest defectors in the Gotei's history, Shihoin Yoruichi. Reports suggested their objective was Kuchiki Rukia, but this was nothing he could take for granted. The heretic was nothing if not devious and deceptive, and he had learned well to mistrust those who would forsake their loyalty.  
And in all this, Aizen Sousuke, dead. In the thousand years he had led the Gotei, Yamamoto had seen many a captain come and go; eventually they all turned into ink in a history book, their bodies cold and expired, turned to dust by the merciless grinding stone that was time. Aside from his two pupils and Unohana Retsu, they all seemed to die...

But for them to be murdered was rare. Death in the field was nothing unusual; that was how most went. From illness or accident was less common, but it had been known to happen. Murder... was rare, very rare, because very few had motive to murder a captain, and fewer still were capable. The only thing comparable to this had been the debacle that had gotten Urahara Kisuke exiled, where in one fell swoop, four captains and four vice-captains had been lost to them. Their ultimate fate was unknown, but presumably, they had died. Now like then, it had struck like lightning from a clear sky. Clutching his cane quite firmly, as if he wanted to crush it with his bare fist, Yamamoto stared out inscrutably. For a millennium, he had carried this burden, and this was yet another one of his failures. For a thousand years... for perhaps too long.

No. He could not doubt. Doubt was weakness.  
But then again, only fools never felt doubt. To doubt was natural. So long as you were not ruled by doubt, but faced it head on with a firm hand, all would be as well as could be.

Who could be behind this? Suspicion naturally fell on Shihoin Yoruichi. She had been exceedingly powerful, the single most skilled speed specialist and assassin he could remember. Who but her would have the skills to murder a captain so easily, without it causing a disturbance?  
But why? Presumably, she was in league with Erza Scarlet. But neither she, nor Shihoin, had any perceivable grudge with Aizen Sousuke. The man was mild-mannered, kind; he had been experienced, skilled and had an exemplary record. Every subordinate of his seemed to report nothing but positive sentiment toward his leadership, and Scarlet had been no exception. Morale was high, so was efficiency, coherency and discipline. He had been nearly ideal, like a kinder version of Kuchiki Byakuya's stern leadership. That he of all people had been targeted seemed downright strange.  
Of course, it was possible he had not been a target at all. Perhaps he had been unfortunate enough to accidentally locate the Shihoin assassin, who had then been forced to act immediately to keep herself hidden. Thoughtfully, he pondered at their motive. If it had been to cause havoc, to destabilize the Gotei, then they had certainly succeeded. But to what gain? No power existed that could challenge their might. Was it simply mad revenge? Were they causing chaos to repay some imagined slight, looking simply to kill until their urges were satisfied, or until they died trying?

Suddenly, Yamamoto felt very old and very tired. He carried an immense burden on his shoulders, a responsibility nobody else could handle, and he had done so long enough to sometimes wish somebody else could one day take it off him. Aizen Sousuke. Traitors invading. He wished, for just a moment, that he could just throw all of those worries away and go sleep, and wake up when he pleased, do nothing but what he wanted...  
But those were childish fantasies. He had accepted this charge, given to him by the King of Souls himself, and he had not done so lightly. Command of the Gotei was his, till the day he died. Responsibility was his, till the day he died.

Feeling the weight of his years, he retreated back into his office. He would get back in the field, perhaps direct some of the efforts personally. To get lost in your own mind, plagued by doubt, was sure to do him no good. He suppressed a shiver. Aizen's death felt like a bad omen. This debacle, he suspected, would get worse before it got better.

* * *

The warehouse was poorly lit, dank and dreary aside from a few rays of sunlight finding their way through a few cracks in the wall. Typical of the second division's vice-captain to pick a meeting place such as this, Lisanna thought- skilled agents as the Stealth Corps were, they seemed to have a flair for the dramatic. She had received a small note, somehow appearing in her pocket without her knowing how it had got there- and she had made a mental note to figure out how they actually did that- which had self-immolated after she had read it. It had been nothing but a time and a location; eleven thirty, this warehouse near thirteenth.

"You're late."

Lisanna stopped herself from jumping, but she must have flinched, because Rod had the slightest hint of a smirk as she quickly turned around to face him.

"How do you do that?" She snapped.

"Practice," he said, and shrugged.

"Anyway, I'm here on time. It's what, two minutes after your stupid deadline?"

"Every second counts. They teach you that in Stealth Force basic."

"How about you stop lording your assassin skills over me and tell me what I'm here for?" Lisanna said firmly, a little irritated. She had been on edge ever since this started, worried for Erza, worried for her fellow shinigami, and now worried for the Gotei itself.

"Aizen's death," Rod said flatly.

"What, you got a lead?"

He shook his head.  
"No such thing. But it's... fishy, don't you think?"

"No shit, Sherlock," Lisanna snapped. "It obviously wasn't any of the Ryoka, so..."

"So our mystery player has made another move."

"This is awfully vague. Why him?"

"Don't know," he shrugged. "Things are coming together, though. I'm not sure if our mysterious schemer got Rukia to the world of the living, but it seems she's key in this. She's arrested and the charges are ludicrous, and the punishment even more so. So Erza comes charging in, knight in shining armour, causing all kinds of havoc. Then Aizen dies, and now... well, anyone wanting to move without being seen could do so with ridiculous ease."

"You think... this whole thing was planned?" Lisanna said, her irritation washing off her. The thought was staggering. "Do you have any idea what kind of planning it would take? What resources? And... why?"

"Can't be sure," he said, infuriatingly indifferent. "Can't be sure of anything. Here's what I'm reasonably sure of: Erza was framed. Whoever did that is pulling her strings again. Aizen's death is on this person's conscience as well- maybe he was just a convenient target, maybe there was some particular motive to it, I can't be sure. Some scheme is being played, for some greater purpose, and it's not likely going to be good for the Gotei."

"So in short, we know almost nothing," Lisanna said harshly.

"True. Almost," said Rod.

"So why are we talking about this? You're usually really annoying with all this cloak-and-dagger stuff," Lisanna said curiously.

He made a face. "Normally I wouldn't even think of doing this, but... the chaos is playing in our favour as well. I'm putting together a group of people we can rely on. To help Erza. To be ready to fight when the time comes."

"Makes sense, I suppose. I'm recruit number one, then?"

"You, yes," Rod said, with a cautious nod. "I'll be having a chat with Abarai Renji and Matsumoto Rangiku- they're conveniently in the hospital right now, away from all the hustle and bustle. We've already got Nozomi of division twelve- I sent her to bail out some of the Ryoka just earlier."

"You realize it's treason and we could all burn for this," Lisanna said flatly.

"This is news?" Rod said sardonically. "Somebody taught me to do the right thing, and that goes even if it's really hard to do. I'd like to live up to that. So, I think, would you."

It was Lisanna's turn to shrug. "Just checking that we're on the same page. How many do we get? I'm hoping more than just a handful."

"I'm hopeful about Matsumoto and Abarai," Rod said matter-of-factly. "Perhaps Kotetsu Isane, although she's likely to be very busy these days."

"What about Momo?"

Rod made a face. "She's toxic to the notion of stealth. Telling her this secret would be the same as jeopardizing it needlessly. We'll let her know at the last moment, and no sooner."

Lisanna nodded. It made some sense; Momo's loyalties were well known.

"I am less sure about Izuru and Hisagi," he continued, "although there ought to be a try, at least. I also suspect the captains Ukitake and Kyoraku disapprove of the state of affairs with Rukia- we could maybe use that to our advantage."

"Let me handle Renji and Rangiku. You handle Izuru and Hisagi," Lisanna said quickly.

Rod gave her a questioning look. He didn't trust her fully, she realized, or was at least hesitant to let her handle something so delicate.

"I know them better than you," Lisanna said in her most convincing voice, "and you only have so much time in your hands. I've been at this longer than you... kid."

Rod snorted, only briefly letting a smile cross his face. "All right. Don't fuck up."

"I won't." Lisanna said firmly.

"Because one fuck-up..."

"And we burn. I know." Lisanna said grimly.

"Well, that settled, this meeting's done," Rod said with a nod. "See you around."

In a single hop, he disappeared into the dark. She couldn't see him, but sensed him move out and away with the habitual speed of somebody too damaged by a covert line of work to do anything normally. Treason, huh? Well... if that was what it took. Quietly and quickly, she made her way out. She had duties of her own, after all, and it wouldn't do to seem lax at a time like this.

* * *

**Well, while the chapter may have lacked in the action department, i think we more than made up for it with the "death" of Aizen souke, the captians meeting, Isane and Erza, and everything in general.**

**Rod and Lisanna helping out Erza shouldnt come to any surprise, given how their the reason she's free in the first place. Nozomi shouldnt be either, given ho Erza is why she is even alive right now. I plan on doing much more with all three characters.**

**I know some of you may be disapointed that Momo isnt being included in their effort to help out erza right now...but lets remember what JUST happened. Her captain is "dead". Right now she is an emotional wreck. Having someone like that on their side could lead to disaster. Right now, its best for them to just leave her out.**

**Dont worry though, if you think im JUST going to have her repeating her actions from cannon from here on out, your wrong. I still have PLENTY for my favorite bleach character to do.**

**As for Isane, well, she knows erza better than most. (She WAS her Therapist for a while) and quite frankly, if Unohanna is willing to save an arrancar...I see no reason why isane wouldnt do the same.**

**I also really hope you all enjoyed the captains meeting and seeing things from Yamamotos perspective. I feel that having us focus on BOTH sides really adds a new layer to the story. Its part of what made the original soul society arc so great.**

**Regardless, I cant wait to see what you all have to say about this chapter. We're getting closer and closer to having 800 reviews. Id like to see if by the end of the arc, we can reach 1000. I know that with your help we can make this goal a reality.**

**Thank you every much for reading.**


	43. The wings of the divine serpent

**Before we begin the chapter itself, I want to address something. The latest chapter of the cannon fairy tail (519) has been...controversial to say the last. REALLY controversial. ****Now, I'm not going to tell you all how to feel about this chapter. Quite frankly, i don't have the right to. I'm not even going to tell you how I feel about it. There are many reasons that someone could have enjoyed the chapter, but there are also just as many reasons for someone to dislike it. ****That's not what this is about. I'm not here to "defend" the chapter, and not going to "rant" about it either. Let's ignore the chapter, and what happened in it. Let us focus on the main character of _THIS_ story, Erza Scarlet. I understand that this AN is a bit lengthy...but i feel this _needs_ to be discussed. **

**Erza has, at this point gotten...A lot of flack to say the least because of the recent chapter. Some say she's no longer a good character. Some go even farther and call her the worst character in the series as of now. I figured id throw my own hat into the ring and give my thoughts on her.**

**After all, she _is_ the main character of this story.**

** Well w****hat I have to say about Erza in this point in cannon is that...She's still Erza Scarlet.**

**Erza is still the character we all know and love. Erza is still kind, strong, intelligent, and among one of the few females in modern shounen manga that kicks major amounts of ass. ****Your most likely here, reading this for her. YOU are all her fans. **

**You don't have to worry about me, or any of us for that matter, going on some rant about how she is now a horrible character. That the last few chapters have SOMEHOW taken away all of her likability. **

**I feel that this assertion is inaccurate, and I'm very sure that _you_ know this is not true or rather believe it to be. Erza is still the character that got me, and many of my friends and fellow fans into this series in the first place. ****Erza _still_ has everything that fans loved about her. ****Erza is still strong. She is still wise. She is still kind. She is still beautiful. Erza has a one of the most sympathetic and compelling backstory's i can think of for a character in a shounen. None of that is gone. These traits are all still here.**

**Erza _IS_ a good character. Make no mistake on that. ****We all love her because of the things that I just said. Because she is strong, because she is wise, beautiful, and everything I said earlier.**

**We love Erza...Because she's Erza. (Yes, I used that saying on purpose.)**

** Nothing that _anyone_ else says about her will change that in my eyes. Not now, not _ever_. Erza has been someone that has inspired me for the past 5 years, and is the reason that this story even exists. Erza is by far, and easily, my favorite character, in all of_ fiction_. I'll be _damned_ if I stopped liking her character over such Nonsense. N****o one on tumblr, on youtube, or any forum will change that. **

**Don't ever think you should be ashamed that you like this character. Ever. No matter how much horrible things gets thrown her way online, or the hatred she'll face for _whatever_ reason, _NEVER_ be ashamed to say that you like her character. Be _proud_ that you are a fan of her! Just like me, and many others out there!**

**Ok, Now that im done speechifying on my soapbox, oh boy, do we have a fun chapter for all of you! Plenty of twists and turns in this one. Many of you wont see these coming, and I eagerly await to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Get ready, cause its gonna get wild!**

**Thanks once again to ****Greatkingrat88. **

**Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.**

* * *

Death would come for her.

Death was inescapable, even for the shinigami, because what they lacked in ageing, the toll of violent conflict would eventually make up for. To sign up was to know you would one day die, low-born or high-born, captain or recruit. The notion of dying, even by execution, hadn't hit Rukia nearly as hard as she had expected. At over a hundred and fifty, she had had a much better life than most, and lived longer than most. She had felt melancholy, knowing how deeply disappointed her honoured older brother must feel, but at the end of the day... you had to die one day, and to see it coming was not necessarily such a bad thing. Obviously she didn't _want_ death, but she had made her peace with it. She would die; all she was would end, and some people would grieve. She had seen enough of it in her life to know what it meant. It didn't scare her.

But her quiet acceptance had been shattered, her resignation to simply contemplate life and meditate in wait of her sentence ended, and misery had overrun her.

She was supposed to die. Why couldn't they have left it alone?

She had sensed it, even weak as she was in her prison, powers suppressed by the sekki-sekki minerals. Kurosaki Ichigo. Erza Scarlet. Their signatures had burned brightly. What she had at first thought were illusions, wishful thinking, were true. When first she had sensed it, it seemed so... faint. Like the subtlest of smells, she had sensed them all, Yasutora Sado, Arisawa Tatsuki, Inoue Orihime, Ichigo and Erza...  
Then she had felt Kenpachi's energy, bathing the entire Gotei in its overwhelming signature, and under it, Ichigo. Ichigo, then Erza. They had done battle.

_What were they thinking?_ To run madly into a death trap, all for her? She could think of no other reason. It was exactly the sort of thing Ichigo would do. It was exactly the sort of thing Erza would do; they were like two peas in a pod, those two. But they should know better. They should know there was no chance of success. So why? Why on earth throw their lives away for her? She was not worth it. Why would they leave this burden on her shoulders?  
Part of her wanted to cry, but she sat silent, sunk deep into despair. She felt weak, emotionally and physically drained, in no small part because of her reiatsu-absorbing restraints, but more than anything out of the agonizing knowledge that she was the cause of all this. She had dragged Ichigo into this. She had drawn Erza out of hiding. Quietly, in her head, she cursed her fate.

The universe was cruel, and had a twisted sense of humour. She had to make peace not only with her own death, but that of her friends as well.

* * *

In the Gotei, no leader was better respected or more beloved than the kind, mild-mannered captain of the thirteenth division, Ukitake Jushiro, and it was widely considered a great shame that he suffered from chronic tuberculosis. Without it, thirteenth would have had the best leader of all, and it was widely believed among its division's members that they would stand head and shoulders above the rest if not for this. Kind and understanding, mild yet decisive, he was considered the best of all to work under, and no division received more applications from the fresh recruits.  
Lisanna Strauss, vice-captain to this tragedy of a man, saw things with a less rosy tint. The captain was as good a man as you could find, that was true, but he was no less a soul than anyone else, fallible and with his own shortcomings. Still, there was nobody she'd rather serve, and that was the truth of the matter.

As the man was often bed-ridden, Lisanna often found herself in charge of the division. Sometimes, she felt like she was its captain, even though that made her feel prideful and a little arrogant. She had been promoted some twenty years ago, shortly after Erza's defection. Since then, she had had to shoulder quite a bit of responsibility by herself. As vice-captain, she had insisted on a bit more discipline- the two joint third seats were well-meaning and enthusiastic, but were considerably better at executing an order than giving one, as they would often contradict each other. Both as stubborn as they were dedicated, the result had been stagnation and inefficiency. Until Lisanna took over, that was; from then on things had run more smoothly by far.

This very moment, Lisanna was headed back to her captain's quarters. It was early afternoon, and after leading thirteenth in the search efforts for a couple of hours, she had excused herself to go see to her captain. State of emergency or no, attending to an ailing captain was a good enough reason, and nobody had questioned her. She gently rapped on the door, hoping her captain would be in good enough health.  
Quite a few thoughts raced through her head, as they had the entire day. She was actively involved in a conspiracy to commit treason. What else, she felt no hesitation, only determination to carry it out to its completion. All this on loose, shaky grounds, all this because she believed in Erza Scarlet.  
Rod had mentioned both her captain and Kyoraku Shunsui as potential allies. But how could she discern that? Drawing attention to herself was the one thing she had to avoid. Lisanna did not consider herself clumsy in these matters, and she had good rapport with her captain, but she still found herself wishing she had knowledge of the spy's subtleties that Rod had trained for.

There was a light cough from inside, and her captain's voice, sounding fairly healthy and stable, rang out.  
"Come on in."

Lisanna slid the doors open, walked up to the captain's bed, and fell to one knee before it. Captain Ukitake sat upright, wearing a simple robe, looking alert. Quietly, Lisanna sighed with relief- it had only been a brief episode this time. It could get nasty when it was worse, and it tore at her heart to see the man reduced to a coughing, hacking, bleeding mess.

"There's no need to be so formal, you know," said Ukitake, with a small smile. He coughed, just once, but stopped himself from letting it turn into a fit.  
"Please, stand."

"As you please, sir," Lisanna said, and stood up. The captain was kind, mild-mannered and often weak, so she had taken it upon herself to act the part of the sterner, more formal sort of leadership the division sometimes needed.

"Now tell me... what news do you bring?"

"Grim tidings, sir," said Lisanna, and she didn't have to fake the dark look on her face. Quickly, she recounted the events of the night; Kenpachi's defeat, followed by Aizen's death, followed by this full-scale manhunt- which, as of yet, had yielded no results.

"...and after the search as duly organized, I headed back here to report, sir." Lisanna said, her voice droning on in a quick, efficient drawl.

"...well, I'll be damned." Ukitake mumbled, taken aback. "That... would explain the hustle and bustle before. I should have been up earlier-"

"Absolutely not, Captain!" Lisanna said firmly. "Your health is more important than anything else. Pushing yourself too far will hurt you just as much as the division."

"I feel like I'm talking to Unohana," Ukitake said with a soft smile. "Although somehow, she feels even more stern than that."

"...quite," Lisanna said, a little stiffly. Her captain was a good man, but she sometimes wasn't sure what to say to him.

"Well... that aside, this really is... quite something," he mumbled. "How was the old man?"

"The captain-commander was livid, or so I am told."

"I can imagine that. I guess it wasn't so bad being out sick, eh?"

Lisanna's first instinct was to tell him that no, being sick is never good, because seeing him sick ate at her, but humour was just one way of dealing with a condition such as his. She held her tongue.  
"It spared you a lecture, so I can imagine it were so," she said diplomatically.

"And... anything else?" Ukitake said, almost hopefully.

"Sir?"

Ukitake sighed. "I suppose it would have been too much to hope for, that the old man would have declared a state of a emergency."

"A state of emergency..."  
It hit her. A state of emergency was the only measure of authority that superseded Central Forty-Six rulings, to be used only when there was a state of chaos so strong that it demanded uninterrupted, unchecked authority until peace was restored. If there had been a state of emergency, then all proceedings related to the central judiciary arm would have been halted. If there had been a state of emergency, Rukia's sentence would have been postponed.  
Rukia wasn't necessarily close to the captain. The girl, although skilled and strong, did not even have a seat. Yet Ukitake was a father to his men, and if you were a part of his division, he had your back at all times. He grieved for those who died in action, and for that he had the unending respect of the men and women under his command. To see Rukia, who had been one of his, wither away in prison awaiting death... it hadn't occurred to Lisanna, not directly, but he had to have been hit almost as hard as her friends.  
"I'm sorry, sir."

"It... it is what it is," Ukitake mumbled. "I'll get to my office, get started on some paperwork or something..."

"It's a crying shame, sir," Lisanna said. He just gave her a look, tired and worn.

"In fact, sir, some would say it's downright unethical," Lisanna said determinedly, a bit of passion in her voice. "There's not a soul looking at this and thinks it's justice."

"There's nothing to be done, is there?" He said, shaking his head.

"Not with that attitude," Lisanna retorted. She was taking a plunge, and she knew it.

"Vice-captain?" Ukitake said curiously.

"I... I'm just talking out of the heart, I suppose," Lisanna said, after a slight pause. "We all want to change the world sometimes, don't we?"

"Yes," he said, nodding, "yes we do."

"Otherwise, what's the point of getting out of bed? If you can't make the world a better place,"

"Where is this coming from?" Ukitake said. He sounded curious, but curiosity could easily become suspicion.

"She... was a friend to a lot of us," Lisanna said, deciding to tell the truth- or well, the parts of it that were convenient, at least. "Not like my best friend, but still. I've kept my mouth shut, but sometimes, that just makes it well up. I'm sorry for that outburst, Captain. It won't happen again."

"Don't apologize," he said, shaking his head. "You're right. We all want to change the world. Sometimes, that... takes us strange places, mentally at least. It's only natural to feel some sort of anger before the impending loss of a friend. Frustration. I won't deny I've felt much the same myself."

"Then what stops you from acting on it? I mean that as a serious question, Captain."

"The rules of order," he said, and there was a directness in his voice, an answer ready-made since long ago. "The rules look the way they look for a reason. People take them for granted, because that's easier than thinking about what they mean. But I understand what they mean. I understand _why_ they exist, because I still remember a time before the Gotei as we know it existed. A time before Yamamoto-sensei was Captain-commander."

"Captain?" Lisanna said curiously. He did not often speak of the far past.

"I was very young back then, but the Gotei was a necessary change at the time. It was... chaotic. Under the Central Forty-Six, order was brought, and the shinigami reformed into the fighting force we are today. The rules may not agree with us. Sometimes, they land us in situations that disgust us. But they need to be followed, because they bring all-important order. That is the standpoint of the philosophy behind the Gotei, at least."

"Do you believe it, captain?"

"...most of the time," Ukitake said, and sighed again.

"And when the rules are wrong?" Lisanna said flatly. Deciding to push the issue, she continued, "When the rules are twisted and abused. When they're used not to protect the innocent, but exploit them. What then, captain?"

"No system is perfect..."

"Begging your pardon, Captain, but do you look at Rukia's situation and say 'well, no system is perfect'?"  
She was pushing far, she realized, maybe too far. But to her relief, Ukitake said,

"...no. This is injustice, no doubt."

"So..."

"So, what, vice-captain?" He said softly, raising his voice slightly. "Rebel against the entirety of the Gotei? How well do you think that would work, even for the star pupils of Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni?"

"But then it's not justice that drives us. Just force, just power."

Ukitake sighed again. "This is reality meeting ideals, and they are not often kind to each other."

"Well... nothing to be done, I suppose," Lisanna muttered, letting out a sigh of her own.

"I sympathize, Lisanna," the captain said. "Know that I do. However... sometimes, all you can do is sit back and watch, no matter how hard. Or just bide your time."

Lisanna blinked. "Huh?"

"Bring me my robes," Ukitake said firmly, his tone cheerier. "I need to make myself at least somewhat useful today. I believe you have duties to attend to as well?"

"Yes-yes, captain," Lisanna said eagerly, and quickly went to fetch his shihakusho.

_Bide your time._ Had Rod been right about him? Time would only tell.

* * *

The warehouse was quiet. Ironically, hiding had become easier in these places, the search seeming to focus on ground zero of where Erza had fought Kenpachi. There had been one patrol coming by, but they had been turned away by Isane. If they questioned her presence there, they hadn't shown it.

Compared to healing Erza, fixing Ichigo up had been easy. The boy had a few nasty lacerations, no more or less than Isane had expected, but with an hour or two of carefully applied medical kido, he was already on the road to recovery. He had some nasty red scars where the cuts had been, but Isane had assured them they would go away with time. Knowing it was futile, she had insisted that he should take it easy, and preferably lie down for the next day or two. It was early afternoon when they finished, and Isane was sanitizing her hands with alcohol when Erza walked up to her.

"Thank you," Erza said sincerely. "Without you..."

"I'm a doctor, and I did my job," Isane said bluntly. Erza was still no expert on reading people, but it didn't take much to realize she wasn't pleased with the situation.

"I mean it. You stuck out your neck for me-"

"And I may well lose it because I did," Isane shot back. She groaned, and sighed. "No, don't give me that look- it was my choice."

"If it helps, I'm really grateful too," Ichigo cut in, stepping toward her, taking care to walk slowly.

"_You_" should be resting!" Isane said with a firmness that reminded Erza that she was in fact Unohana Retsu's second-in-command.

"...yes, ma'am," Ichigo said, scratching his head awkwardly and sitting himself down on the stack of supplies he had been sitting on.

"At any rate, I _really_ need to get back. I'm probably going to get the chewing-out of a lifetime, and my captain..."

"I know," Erza said, not envying Isane the least.

"Take care, you two," Isane said. "And I mean that only because I _know_ you will both undo all my hard work sooner rather than later."

"We'll do our best." Erza said.

Isane grumbled something incoherent, but Erza could guess at its general meaning. She was normally very mild-mannered, but the circumstances were anything but normal, and everyone had their limits.

"Ichigo!"

The voice was unmistakable. It was Masaki. She had to have snuck in somewhere in the back, Erza realized, and either they had been too distracted to sense her, or she had been too careful with hiding herself. She ran toward them at full speed, and she looked ragged, worn out by stress more than anything else.

"Mom-" was all Ichigo managed before she was upon him, catching him in a bear hug.

"Dear god, I was so worried- oh thank goodness you're okay, thank goodness!" She was rambling, and Erza understood where she came from; if it had been Orihime... "I would have come sooner, but I, I was held up, and..."  
She held him close, and kissed him on the forehead, multiple times and without the smallest hint of grace or dignity.

"Ow, ow, ow, ooow..." Ichigo grumbled.

"Marvellous. Another one," Isane said flatly. "Miss, you may want to step back. His body is still healing."

"Oh-oh!" Masaki exclaimed, and let go of her son like he were a piece of red-hot metal. "I'm so sorry baby, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine..." Ichigo grumbled, blushing slightly. It was bizarre, but also something of a good sign, that he was embarrassed. After all, if he could worry about that, it meant that pain and injury couldn't be all _that_ bad at this point.

"I felt it when it happened," Masaki said, looking at Erza, seeming to have calmed down a little. "I would have come sooner, but- but there were so many shinigami, strong ones too, they were just _everywhere_-"

"You did your best," Erza said firmly. "That's all a mother can do."

Uneasily, Masaki nodded. Turning to her son again, she said, "Are you sure you're okay? You're not hurting too badly anywhere? I'm really sorry..."

"Mom, I'm fine!" Ichigo insisted, resisting Masaki trying to open his shirt and check.

"...I really have to leave now," Isane said. "I'm not going to lie to my captain if she asks, so I recommend you leave her before too long."

Erza nodded. "That's fair. Again, thanks."

"Yes, yes..." Isane grumbled. Gathering up her medical kit, she soon snuck out the door.

"Mom!" Ichigo said again, fending off a motherly assault of concern and affection. "I told you, I'm okay!"

"Actually, you're not." Erza said. "The medical kidos are still working on your body. It'll take most of the day before they're through, and even then, you should be resting until you've recovered fully."

"See? Listen to your aunt!" Masaki exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, that isn't an option," Erza said, tapping the hilt of her sword. "We're too deep in to stop, the Gotei is swarming with shinigami, and we _still_ need to get to Rukia."

"See? Listen to your... uh, friend?" Ichigo said, failing to think of an appropriate familial equivalent to make his retort cutting enough.

Masaki looked angrily defiant for a second, as if she could really expect Ichigo to sit back and rest, but thought better of it. She was not to be left unsatisfied, however.  
"Well, I'm sticking with you this time," she said, and it was clear there was to be no arguing. Erza didn't mind; Masaki was one of their stronger members.

"Let's go, then," Erza said. "I know my way around here. The search seems to be focused elsewhere, so... if we try and take the long way around, we've got a decent chance of evading them. With any luck, Yoruichi will catch us up and give us an update."

"Sounds like a plan," Ichigo said, and nodded.

"Oh and... we're taking it easy. If there's a fight, you only get into it with my permission. No arguing." Erza said. Ichigo looked like he might protest, but the stern look from both his mother and aunt made him think better of it.

"Fine..." he muttered. He grumbled, much like Isane had, and the three of them set out into the streets of the Gotei.

* * *

Renji had, for the most part, recovered. Being a vice-captain, Rangiku and he had been given priority of treatment. Renji didn't remember too much, having been given more than a few anaesthetics, but he had been told they had operated on him for most of the night, carefully closing his injuries and applying the right spells to heal him. The fourth seat had told him he would make a full recovery, so long as he took it easy for a while. He had been given a robe, and around the afternoon he'd been given permission to get out of bed.  
He had of course considered ignoring the doctor's orders, but unlike the dumb grunts of eleventh, he knew better than to defy fourth- defying them was defying Unohana, and while he wasn't sure why everyone feared her that much, he wasn't keen to find out. Slowly, he made his way to Rangiku's room; she had been the only one there to have encountered the Ryoka like him, and she seemed not to have fought him.

He had had nothing but time to think since he woke up. There was a search going on, that much he had caught on to. Apparently, Aizen was dead.  
But that was it. According to Erza, he was the one behind all this. If he was, then it was likely not true, just a ruse thrown in to... do whatever he needed to do.

But he couldn't just trust Erza blindly. As much time as he had had to think, he still couldn't make his mind up about her. She hadn't acted at all like some villain out to destroy all they stood for. Everything about her had seemed... genuine. But on the other hand, she had proclaimed herself guilty, at least to an extent. His heart cried out to believe in her, to stand with her, but his reason pulled him in the opposite direction.  
Only one thing was clear. She wanted Rukia free, and he didn't doubt that. He wanted the same thing. For as long as that was the case, they were allies in this. In a way, it was something of a blessing to have been cut down by Kenpachi- it saved him having to explain just why he hadn't tried to capture her, why he hadn't achieved anything in his search. He grimaced, his wounds aching- some blessing that was.

Walking carefully, his wounds still stinging, he walked into Rangiku's room. She was awake, just like him, staring out through a window.

"Yo," he said, leaning himself against the doorway.

"Oh, Renji," she muttered, slowly turning her eyes to look at him. "Um. I mean, sorry. Good day. I was a bit distracted..."

"I feel ya," Renji said, nodding. "I been doing a lot of thinking myself. You recovering all right?"

She made a face. "The medics say I got lucky. I sure don't _feel_ lucky, but apparently a single stab wound is pretty easy to treat. Compared to what you got, at least."

"...I can believe that," Renji said, remembering with a shudder what it felt like to be at the receiving end of Kenpachi's blade. "Look... I wanted to ask about something."

"It was her." Rangiku said. "The one who bailed us out was Erza Scarlet. She had me patch that kid ryoka up, and you too, while she battled him. Apparently... she won. I was sure she'd die, but she came back, looking like a walking corpse, picked up the kid and went on her merry way."

Renji drew in a sharp breath. She had beaten Kenpachi? Kenpachi, of all people, had lost to her? What in the...?  
"You can't be for real," he mumbled.

"Kenpachi's here in the hospital too," Rangiku said. "Worse shape than either of us. I don't know any details, but I'm guessing Captain Unohana saw to him personally."

"Holy shit," Renji said, genuinely baffled. "She really..."

"I couldn't believe it either, but here we are."

"No way..." Renji shook his head. "Look, that's not what I was actually wondering about."

"Then what?"

"Well..." Renji said. How did he put this? "It's hard to say, but..."

"How did I end up with that ryoka instead of fighting or arresting him?"

Renji nodded. It was a good place to start, anyhow.

"It's... weird," Rangiku said, and she looked uneasy. "I fought him for a bit, but then he used _Getsuga Tensho_, and that was my old captain's signature move. The kid's zanpakutou is named _Zangetsu_, and the captain's was named _Engetsu_. This got me thinking, and..."  
She paused. "Don't tell a soul, okay? Not yet."

"Sure," Renji said, nodding eagerly.

"He's the son of Shiba Isshin. My old captain. Apparently that bastard is still alive and kicking, although without powers."

"That... explains some things, then," Renji said slowly. "So you wanted to find out more."

"Yes. I convinced him to negotiate. I hoped him being noble would let him get some leverage..."

Renji snorted. "As if they give a shit about the Shibas."

"It was worth a shot," Rangiku said defensively. "Anyhow... I _need_ to know. That's why I talked to him. It's not like Captain Shiba was the love of my life or anything, but he was my captain. He was an idiot, but he was also a good man. A good captain. I grieved for him. His family grieved for him. Everyone thought he was dead, and now... apparently he's not."

She shook her head.

"I hear ya," Renji nodded. "I'm no stranger to emotional baggage, ya know."

"He's out there somewhere," Rangiku said, and there was something distant in her voice, as if she was imagining it all vividly. "With a family. With kids. He left us all behind. I... I want to know why." She sighed. "Well, there you go- that was why. I guess it seems silly, right?"

She hid it well, but she sounded vulnerable, and Renji realized that she too carried scars of the past. Most people did, to some extent, but Rangiku was so cheerful and full of life; he'd hardly ever pictured her as having regrets.

"No, it ain't," Renji said, shaking his head. "In fact... I'm probably about to one-up you."

"Oh?" Rangiku said.

Renji took a deep breath, and took the plunge. "I ran into Erza Scarlet. It was she who sent me to find that Ichigo."

Rangiku blinked. "Well, you certainly don't disappoint. Care to explain?"

Renji grumbled. "I confronted her, all worked up and ready to get my ass kicked, you know..."

"Yes, yes, all that dumb macho stuff," Rangiku said dismissively. "So why didn't you?"

"I..." Renji said, hesitating. How would he put it? Telling her all of it might not be a good idea, but he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to share, to vent all of it to somebody, anybody.  
"I cut her. She didn't even defend herself. She lectured me about attacking people who aren't fighting back, and suddenly I'm that stupid academy kid all over again, getting chewed out by my teacher."

"Go on," Rangiku said, sounding interested.

"She gave me the chance to stab her in the back. But she'd already said too much. She made me realize my head was all screwed up, that I was standing on the wrong side."

"Rukia," Rangiku said, as if having had an epiphany. "Of course..."

"Yes, Rukia!" Renji said intensely. "There ain't nobody I've known longer, and me just standing around while she's getting executed over some trumped-up bullshit charges... I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen."

"How do you know Erza isn't full of it?" The question was direct, almost blunt, and Renji paused for a second.

"I don't. I really don't. Erza, she even confessed to being a traitor. But... fuck me, I can't help but believe her. Maybe I'm blinded, but something ain't right here. You got your reasons to look into this, and well, I got mine."

"Well, isn't this convenient?"

The voice was clearly amused, and through the doorway stepped Lisanna Strauss, a smirk on her face.

"Vice-captain Strauss!" Renji snapped. He reached for his sword instinctively, only to realize that he was still in hospital robes, and that his zanpakutou was bound to be in locked up in the armory. Rangiku looked no less shocked herself.

"Relax, you two," Lisanna said, making a dismissive gesture with her hand. "Good grief, here I was trying to figure out how I'd phrase 'let's commit treason together' without giving my intentions away, and the two of you are already halfway there."

"I... have no idea what you're talking about," Rangiku said cautiously.

"Oh, please," Lisanna said. "You two should _really_ close the door when you're talking about things like this, or at least whisper. I might not be in the Stealth Corps, but even I know that."

"S-so what?" Renji snapped, startled, pointing aggressively at Lisanna. "You better be shutting your mouth, or-"

"Or what, Renji?" Lisanna said coolly. "I know your fine biceps are better refined than your grey matter, but even you know better than to think you could get away with starting a ruckus in Fourth."

Realizing how entirely right she was, Renji tamely lowered his finger.

"Besides, I've really nothing to fear from either of you, even if you had your zanpakutou," she said nonchalantly. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The first thing you need to know is: I'm not your enemy."

"How would we know that?" Rangiku said.

"Because I _could_ be calling for your arrest right now, but I'm not. But to reassure you, I'll let you know one thing: twenty years ago, I helped Erza escape. Do I have your attention?"

"You... you really?" Renji said, stunned.

"Yes, really. She is innocent, as far as I am concerned. Framed," Lisanna said firmly. "More to the point, you are not alone in this. I represent a... special interests group, you could say. People who are questioning the situation we are in, people who think there is more to this than meets the eye."  
Inwardly, Lisanna reveled in the situation. She made it all sound so mysterious, and it was rather a thrill.

"You said... 'let's commit treason'." Renji said slowly. "So we're all going to do... what, exactly?"

"Good question," Lisanna replied. "Fortunately, unlike the two of you, we do have a plan."

"Which is what, exactly?" Rangiku said.

"I'll tell you more when it's necessary. Rest assured, it's nothing immoral. Of course, it involves going against orders, but you knew that already, didn't you?"

"So what do you need from us?" Renji said suspiciously.

"Nothing, for now," Lisanna said with a shrug. "Just to know that we can count on you when the time comes. Keep your mouths shut, act normal, and be ready to act on our signal. Rod will be in touch."

"Rod Sentry? The vice-captain of second?" Renji blurted out. "That... makes sense, actually. Didn't he go to school with Erza?"

"Keep your mouth shut! What did I _just_ say?" Lisanna snapped. "This is secret, and if anyone blows our cover, we could all go down for it."

"R-right," Renji said, nodding tamely.

Lisanna sighed. "Good grief... just act normal and wait. Can you do that?"

"...sure," Rangiku said.

"Yeah, okay..." Renji muttered.

"Good. Report back to your divisions when you're discharged. Keep quiet, and wait. That's it. For now, I've got work to do."

With that, Lisanna turned on her heel and walked out, leaving a confused couple of vice-captains behind her.

* * *

Uryu had taken their difficulties in stride, at least compared to his companions. Using his superior sensory skills, he had found a remote alleyway where he had caught a few hours of uneasy sleep, always keeping an eye half open, and had set out before dawn. His strategy yesterday had been to move fast, get to Rukia before he was caught himself, and re-unite with the rest of his comrades.  
This had turned out futile; despite his superior speed, despite his skills, there always seemed to be somebody spotting him- there were simply too many angles, too many possibilities for error, too many shinigami crawling all over the place. Learning from his experiences, he had this time chosen to move with caution. He had stolen an ill-fitting shinigami uniform, and carefully dashed from rooftop to rooftop, always on the lookout for shinigami.

For a few hours, this had worked quite well. Activity was low early in the morning, but halfway toward noon, it was as if somebody had kicked a beehive. Shinigami were swarming _everywhere_, and if yesterday had seemed chaotic, the frenzy of black-robed reapers crowding every street put it to shame. Uryu, who had been making decent time, had found himself pinned, having to resort to running along with various shinigami to even get anywhere.  
That enterprise was a desperate one, but to its credit, it worked... for a while. The chaos served him well enough that he could change directions before anybody started asking questions, like who his commanding officer was, or what company he belonged to.

But just before noon, his luck ended. Somebody had noticed his glove, questions were being asked, and Uryu struck the first blow. Seizing the initiative had let him gun down dozens of shinigami, and it had taken genuine effort not to kill them all- at least he hoped nobody had died. But no matter how quickly he had acted, he had not been able to stop them from crying warnings, and within minutes the whole area was crawling with shinigami, coming at him from every direction. Realizing that it was only a matter of time before somebody truly strong would come along, Uryu had run. He had outpaced most of his pursuers easily, but more than a few were persistent, and the alarm would always precede him. They had his scent now, like bloodhounds, and they weren't letting him go. Inwardly, he cursed. Damn it all!

He had been chased for nearly an hour when he found himself cornered near a square, some place that appeared to be a meeting place of sorts. Staring down dozens of shinigami, swords all drawn, he held his bow aloft, arrow at the ready, challenging whoever dared to be first. Carefully he looked around him. Nearly a hundred of them, at least. Several high ranked officers. It would be hard, but maybe he could break through...

But then, the tense aggression of his opponents slowly seemed to break, and there were cries from the back. Parting like they had been swept aside by a tidal wave, the mass of shinigami turned their eyes away from Uryu entirely. Uryu looked, and saw him. Wearing a strange hat, his face coloured charcoal black, the skin on his hands pale white, he wore the unmistakable captain's haori. Across his groin hung a blade, and he stepped forward. The mass of shinigami, so fired up not a minute ago, started to run in every direction, anywhere away from the man, and there was fear in their faces as they fled in panic.  
Uryu needed no more clues. Kurotsuchi Mayuri, one of the very worst he had been told of.

_"It might be better to die than be captured by him."_ That was what Erza had told them. Feeling shocked, his heart skipped a beat.

"My, my, my," said the captain, his voice a little shrill, sounding dispassionately pleased, "I found you after all."

The square was empty now, and Uryu wanted to flee himself. But this was a captain, and he was bound to be stronger, faster...  
To fight, it was. Uryu had chosen to be a quincy, to be noble and chivalrous whenever possible, and that meant staring your fate in the face no matter how unpleasant. But part of him was still a young man, a boy with no real experience of war, and that part of him wanted very much to be somewhere else.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri," he said defiantly. "Head of the research unit and captain of twelfth division."

"Oh?" Kurotsuchi said curiously. "Quite well informed, I see. It matters not. You will reveal all relevant data once I get you back to the division."

Uryu let loose an arrow, which grazed the captain's cheek. Unimpressed, he put a hand to the small cut the arrow had caused, rubbing a drip of blood between his fingertips.  
"Quincy. Relatively untrained, I see. Juvenile. Shame. I would much rather have studied a veteran."

"Don't count me out until I'm beat, scum," Uryu said firmly.

The captain gave him an amused look.  
"Boy, there is no fight to be had. The likes of you could not hope to challenge me. But out of kindness, I will make you an offer: come quietly and without struggle, and I shall treat you with comparative mercy. I will apply anesthetics when possible, and you will even be allowed solid foods on occasion. That is quite generous of me."

"I'm not your lab rat," Uryu sneered.

"Really, I had hoped it would be one of the other Ryoka, as my research of the quincies is mostly finished," Kurotsuchi said, ignoring Uryu. "Still, there is no such thing as too many samples, I suppose."

"Try it," Uryu said, with more confidence than he really felt. "By the pride of the Quincy, I swear you will not have me as your prize without a fight!"

"You are all the same, do you realize that?" Kurotsuchi said. His voice was low, and it made Uryu shiver. "They all said 'by the pride of the quincy', insignificant things like that. They all screamed and begged for mercy in the end. It really is quite tiresome."

The man was a monster. Uryu felt anger rising inside him, righteous fury. He was practically bragging about his atrocities, and he had already pegged his next victim. Talking would do him no good now. Quickly, Uryu let a string of arrows loose, in the same instance springing into his _hirenkyaku_, landing on a rooftop overlooking the square.

"I told you, boy, it is pointless," the dispassionate voice said. Some ten yards from him, Kurotsuchi Mayuri stood on the rooftop, having followed him effortlessly. "Qualitative _hirenkyaku,_ I must say," he added, as if he was observing something in a lab already. "Fairly advanced for a specimen your age, particularly given your lack of competent mentorship."

"What-what would you know about that?" Uryu sneered, skipping a few steps back.

"It's _obvious_ to anyone who understands the technique," Kurotsuchi said, his tone as if he was addressing a Neanderthal. "You are mostly self-taught, perhaps using written down instructions, or possibly you had tutelage when you were younger- tutelage that ended before you could refine it." He looked delighted as he elaborated. "Ah, but I digress. Will you come quietly?"

"As if!" Uryu snapped.

"I see, I see," the captain said, and sighed. "As much of an ant as you may be, you would be a troublesome insect. I just hope you won't spoil too much."

Spoil?

The captain reached for the sword at his belt, slowly pulling it up. Ichigo held his like a warrior, Uryu had seen him handle it enough to know, but the captain held it more like it were an instrument, without the smooth, easy form of a well-trained soldier. The hilt looked odd, wrapped in what looked like bandages, little spikes sticking out where the guard was.

"Tear him up, Ashizogi Jizou," he said, as dispassionate as ever. There was a surge of power, and the blade transformed. What the zanpakutou had become looked utterly impractical as a weapon; just over the hilt was a metal plate in the shape of a face, and the sword itself resembled more the head of a trident than an actual blade, crooked and curved several times. It was the colour of brass, bright and yellow. Uryu knew better than to underestimate a captain, and immediately launched himself back, while firing off a hail of arrows. In seconds, he had covered well over a hundred meters, dashing across the rooftops. Kurotsuchi followed him, seemingly without much trouble.

"That's the problem with _hirenkyaku_, boy," the captain said menacingly as he caught up with Uryu, "it's all too predictable to the people who know its ins and outs!"  
He dashed forward and slashed Uryu across the chest horizontally, raking the three blades over his ribcage and arms. The cut wasn't deep, but an immense pain overcame Uryu, and he tumbled to the ground. Forcing himself to focus, he tried to get up, but his body wouldn't respond; everything below his shoulders simply wouldn't let itself be commanded.

"That is the ability of my _Ashizogi Jizo_," Mayuri said, landing next to Uryu. "It severs the ties that connect the brain to the rest of the body until such time that I decide to undo it. It does not, however, stop the body from feeling pain."  
Demonstratively, he raised his blade, and stabbed all three blades into Uryu's chest, just enough so that all of them had dug into Uryu's flesh. Uryu cried out with pain, blood seeping from his mouth.

"Now, since that is done with, shall we go?" Kurotsuchi said, taking a step back.

Uryu let his reiatsu surge, and to Kurotsuchi's surprise, he stood up. His movements were slow, jittery, like a sleepwalker just waking up, but stood he did.

"On my pride as a quincy, on my honour as an Ishida, I swear I will kill you!" Uryu snarled, slowly stringing his bow.

"Oh?" Kurotsuchi said curiously. "That... has to be _Ransotengai_, yes? Commendably done. Controlling your body like a puppet with reiatsu is no small feat."

His body screaming with pain, arms trembling, Uryu aimed an arrow.

"However, I tired of these games. Bakudo number four: Hainawa."

A yellow rope of light formed, surging forward quickly. In a second's time, it had wrapped around Uryu's chest and arms, binding him completely.

"Damn it!" he swore, struggling against the spell. His breathing was ragged, and the pain was threatening to overcome him. Was this what it meant to face a captain? He hadn't even had the chance to take that glove off...  
No. Don't give in. You never gave in. If he could get away, maybe he could undo the spell...

"Now, it's time we go back to my division," Kurotsuchi said. "Shall we-"

Uryu sped away, using the last of his energy to put some distance between himself and the monstrous captain, landing some thirty yards further down the street.

"That was pitiful," Mayuri said, "it took you what, four steps to get only that far? Really, you are much too stubborn..."

Desperately, Uryu tried to work through the spell binding him. It wasn't that powerful, and normally it wouldn't have been the end of the world, but the pain of the toxins running through his body was too much. The captain came closer, walking leisurely toward him. Twenty meters now. Damn it all!  
"Break, damn you!" He cried out frustratedly.

Fifteen meter. Uryu's struggle got even more desperate. The world was spinning, and he lost his footing.  
But to his surprise, he fell into a pair of strong arms, lifting him off the street. In a haze, like in some fevered dream, Uryu looked up and saw a face, scarred yet beautiful, framed by short, white hair.

"Cheers love, the cavalry's here," Lisanna said with a smile.

"What..." Uryu mumbled.

Loudly, Lisanna proclaimed, "Ryoka, in the name of the Gotei Thirteen and its thirteenth division, you are hereby placed under arrest! You will be put in a cell awaiting interrogation and sentencing for your transgressions! Do not resist, or you will regret it!"  
The words were more for show than anything else, and Uryu couldn't have resisted if he wanted to.

"Ah, you found my newest specimen," Kurotsuchi said, stopping some ten yards away. "Put him down. I am taking him back to twelfth-"

"He is an arrestee of Thirteenth," Lisanna said, her voice steely, "and as such he is my responsibility. Did you make an arrest first, captain?"

"You insolent woman!" Kurotsuchi sneered. "I do not have the patience for your plebeian excuses. Set him down and be gone, or you will regret it!"

"Did you make an arrest?" Lisanna insisted. "Because if you did not, Gotei law states that he is officially the responsibility of the Thirteenth until such time that he is brought to court for sentencing."

"You dare defy _me?_" Kurotsuchi sneered.

"I do," Lisanna said defiantly.  
This was bad. She was supposed to be keeping a low profile. Fighting a captain, let alone one as merciless as Kurotsuchi, was not what she was supposed to be doing.  
Time had changed her. Over a hundred years ago, she had been an innocent teenager. She had come a long way since then, seen a lot of terrible things and learned a lot of hard lessons. She had become hard, seasoned, a veteran, far from the idealism of her original family. But at heart, she carried the spirit of Fairy Tail, the spirit that would not let the helpless fall victim to monsters, not if you could stop it...  
"It is simple," Mayuri said, anger flaring in his eyes, "I have no problem killing you too. It'll be a pain to deal with the complaints, but I've gotten past worse."

"So be it, then," Lisanna said. Carefully, she took a few steps, and gently set down Uryu by a wall. She dug into her pocket, and produced a small paper box. "Take this. It's not much, but it's a painkiller we use in the field."

"Th-thanks..." Uryu muttered.

"You're a cute kid," Lisanna said cheerily. "Shame about the injuries, though. Come see me in a few years, and I might actually call you handsome."

Uryu looked bewildered, and was grateful to see her turn back to the captain, her cheerful demeanour once again gone.

"Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri, by interfering with an official arrest and threatening an officer with death, you are in violation of the Gotei Penal Code, section B, paragraph 13, as well as section C, paragraph three," she said firmly. "Do you understand that this may result in criminal charges and repercussions both for you and your division?"

"Use whatever excuses you like, bitch," Kurotsuchi sneered. "Your pathetic law is illusory, and I stand well above it."

Lisanna nodded. "So be it, then."

In a flash, she stood up on a wall, some twenty yards away. "Let's take this elsewhere, then! It wouldn't do for your specimen to get damaged, would it?" She cried.

Mayuri snarled, and followed her. A quick sprint later, the two stood some ways away from Uryu. However, Lisanna was well aware that there were people living here, shinigami like herself going about their day. With a captain as volatile as this...

"Bakudo number four: Hainawa!" Kurotsuchi cried out, but the instant the spell went off, Lisanna slipped into a shunpo, reappearing well away from the arc of the spell. It stretched and reached, but Lisanna was too fast.  
"It was too much to hope for, I suppose." Kurotsuchi said irritably. Surging forward, brandishing his three-bladed shikai, he struck at Lisanna. Quickly she drew her own sword, parrying just barely, and she found herself pushed back as she had to defend herself. The captain was by far not as intimidating with a sword as the fearsome Kenpachi or the ruthless Byakuya, but he _was_ still a captain, powerful and fast. As he made one vicious sideways cut, Lisanna somersaulted back and out of range, quickly putting a bit of space between herself and the captain.

"Rend, Raijin!" she cried, and the zanpakutou disappeared, re-materializing as two sets of three-pointed claw blades, one held in each hand, each about a foot long. They crackled with electric energy, and Lisanna felt the surge of power. Her speciality was speed and close-quarters combat, which would serve her well- a single hit from that blade, even a shallow one, would partially paralyse her.

"Boring," Kurotsuchi sneered, and came at her again. Quickly, Lisanna sidestepped a downward cut, and lashed out into a fast set of hits, designed less to hit him and more just to keep him on his guard. It worked well enough, the captain warding off her attacks with ease, but still being kept on the defensive. This was what she had hoped for. All she needed now was an opening...  
Doubling her efforts, she moved her arms as fast as her body would let her, exchanging a mindbogglingly fast set of blows with the captain. Finally, his lack of swordsmanship began to show, and in a split second, she saw the opening- his sword going just a little higher than it needed to. In an instant, her left arm stabbed forward, the claws digging into the wrist of his sword arm. She let a current of electric energy charge in her right hand, and stabbed forward, striking him squarely and deeply in the chest.

However, what begun as elation became shock, as the electric energy simply died down. Looking unaffected, as if he felt no pain at all, Kurotsuchi stared at her.  
"Do you think I keep no data on officers like you?" He said calmly. "Raijin, electric type close-combat zanpakutou. Using the right formula of chemicals, I have already injected myself with a serum that causes my spiritual energy structure to insulate against electric energy."

He reached into his pocket with his free hand, and Lisanna quickly jumped back, wrenching her claws free from his wrist. This was why he was so dangerous- the man had prepared for almost any occasion, and she was not keen to find out what he had in his pocket. It turned out she was not a second too early, as there was a puff of dark green smoke from a device in his hand, dissolving the ground where it landed.

"You are at a disadvantage. Surely you can see?" He said gleefully. "Your one power is nullified."

"Is that what you think?" Lisanna said, a dangerous edge to her voice.

"Bluster and bravado will not help, vice-captain," Kurotsuchi said, sounding triumphantly arrogant. "Your mistake was crossing me. Perhaps I won't kill you after all. Perhaps I'll take you back to my lab..."  
He blinked. Lisanna's reiatsu surged, and there was a gust of wind extending out from her.

"You keep a record on zanpakutou, huh?" She said, her lips curled into a sneer. "Talk about lucky."

"What is this?" Kurotsuchi said, brows furrowing. "It is useless. Surely even a primitive like you can see-"

"My zanpakutou is Raijin!" Lisanna proclaimed loudly. "However, you know only half of its name. I use its lightning for its destructive power, but that is not all it can do. But I use half of its name for half its power, because the other half is wild, destructive and dangerous, and it could hurt even me. I use it only if my life is in danger. _Rend, Arashi-raijin!"_

The wind intensified, and Lisanna surged forward, so fast that the captain only barely had time to react. Bringing his Ashizogi Jizou up just in time, he blocked a fierce double strike, lightning crackling from the claws of Lisanna's shikai.

"Storm..." He mumbled. "It combines two elements to form a specific subset. Interesting." He smiled gleefully. "It is not nearly enough, however. Your lightning still cannot hurt me."

"Do you think that is all, Kurotsuchi Mayuri?" Lisanna said sharply. "Just watch, then- if you can!"

She dashed away, in an impossibly quick shunpo, reappearing behind Kurotsuchi. He spun to meet her, bringing his zanpakutou about for a horizontal slash, but Lisanna was already at his side, which was completely exposed with the swing he was making. Letting out a fierce cry, she stabbed her claws into the side of his chest four times, before disappearing again, only to come back in the air, behind him, slamming a kick into his head. Kurotsuchi snarled, bringing his sword back at her again, but Lisanna once again moved away, instantly appearing right in front of him. The captain tried to cut her, but within the blink of an eye, Lisanna had stabbed both her claws forward, burying them all almost to the hilt in his chest. Lightning was crackling from her entire form, sparks of electricity emanating from her, and a blue and white current of raw power could be seen running through her arms, for a bare instant showing her very bones through their light.  
Kurotsuchi staggered back as Lisanna pulled her blades out, and she followed up with a swift kick to his face, launching herself into the air to add power to the strike. He was bleeding, and as much as he seemed to not register pain, he still had had his stride broken, still had taken damage.

"How?" he snarled. "I immunized myself against electricity! How are you hurting me with that?"

"I'm not," Lisanna said coldly. "I'm not using lightning to hurt you. I'm using it to boost my own strength. You may have made yourself immune to direct electric attacks... but you're certainly not immune to raw physical force."

"You..." Kurotsuchi snarled, staring at her in disbelief, "you..."

"What, surprised?" Lisanna said mockingly. "Because I'm stronger than you expected? Because you made a mistake, and it's costing you? Or is it because you're not the only one who knows how to use their brain?"

"You little bitch!" Kurotsuchi snarled.

"Let me warn you, _captain,_ the full power of my zanpakutou makes me fast enough to best all but the captain of second division," Lisanna said coldly. "I intend to show you no mercy. You will not hit me, but I will hit you."

"You little pest!" Kurotsuchi snapped. He held up his sword, and Lisanna could feel his reiatsu surging. Damn it! Bankai already? She couldn't hope to trump that with shikai alone.  
"Prepare to face the full might of my sword! Ban-"

"As if I'd let you!" Lisanna shouted, charging toward the captain as fast as she could go, lightning and wind coursing through her very being, carrying her toward her goal-

-and then she was right beside him, raising her blades, only to find him pointing a finger at her.

"Got you," he said gleefully. "Shou!"

The kido spell, simple though it was, with fired with precision and power, and hit her squarely in the chest. She was sent flying, tumbling through the air, only barely managing to recover enough not to crash entirely.

"Bankai!" Mayuri cried triumphantly. "Konjiki Ashizogi Jizou!"

* * *

"Connection established, my liege."

The air of the Cubiculum Sanctus, the innermost chambers of the Castra Vanden, were well-lit and had a fresh air, courtesy of the ventilation system that Grand Master Haschwalth- who had quite a fondness for non-magical human ingenuity, particularly the kind that made dreary castles less dreary- had ordered installed, but the mood hanging over the king's council was nevertheless grim enough that it might as well have been dank, gloomy and torch-lit.

There was a large round table, each one with a seat for anybody with the rank of paladin, and at its head sat the king himself, his majesty Sigismund Abaddon Ywach I, the one and only monarch of the order of the Vanden. His face was a mask of stone, one that most would think of as cruel, but Haschwalth knew it was only as cruel as the world had been to it- and behind it was a man with vision and mercy, with power and wisdom. Long, black hair flowed from his head, draping his shoulders, and a neatly trimmed short beard framed his regal visage. He wore a silver-coloured cuirass with golden details, and a magnificent cloak lined with ermine fur.

By his right side sat Haschwalth, the Grand Master of his knights, and to his left sat Subutai, Lord Commander and First General of all his forces, second only to the majesty himself in military command.

The meeting had been called with some haste, and as such less than a dozen paladins were in attendance. The man who had spoken was a low-ranked lay brother of the knightly order, given his rank specifically to serve as the Vanden's chief technology operator; he was a devoted servant but a brother of the sword only in name. Haschwalth thought nothing of it; they were all of them small and necessary parts of a greater whole, those with swords and those without.

"Well done, Jurgen," said the king, and dismissed the servant-brother with a nod. The technician bowed, and stepped back, ready to be of service at a moment's notice.

Before them was a holoboard, a projection of a point far, far away in space, coming from another dimension- the Soul Society. Specifically, the Gotei Thirteen. It had taken decades to sneak in microprobes with which to spy on the shinigami, its technology being a mixture of highly advanced human science, and knowledge looted or cannibalized from the shinigami sciences. Whatever the specifics were, they _worked_, and Haschwalth didn't need to understand how to understand that they filled their purpose. They had come to order for such meetings many times the past few days, observing the shinigami in action. There had been an invasion, meaning that it would be priceless knowledge- how they reacted to hostile military action would be absolutely vital.

Nothing they had seen so far had given any of them cause to be impressed, and Subutai had openly sneered at them several times. While Haschwalth was not nearly as harsh as his colleague, and not disposed toward petty contempt, he could not find it in him to hold Subutai's reaction against him even in quiet. The performance had been abysmal. A small group had managed to pierce far into the Gotei, despite overwhelming numbers against them. Even worse, they had not even infiltrated; they had apparently walked right in. Chaos had ensued, and although their vision was limited- the spy-drones could only cover so much, their artificial intelligence being limited- it appeared the shinigami had made minimal progress. Had the same ensued at Castle Vanden, every defender would be up in arms, following strict defensive protocols, quickly rooting out the enemy threat or die trying.

Right now, though, his concern was on a less significant matter. They had assembled to watch and judge a battle between a captain and what appeared to be one of his fellow officers- Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Lisanna Strauss respectively. However, the mere sight of the captain had set off Paladin Bambietta Basterbine, who was stood up, fuming, fists clenched. It was quite understandable; they all knew why, but to disrupt a king's council was unacceptable.

"Shinigami against shinigami," she said darkly. "I wish that the quincy could have done... something. It would have been justice, seeing him destroy that monster."  
She was trembling with rage, and perhaps something more.

"Indeed it would have," Haschwalth said diplomatically. He hoped she would take a hint; he'd rather not shame her in front of everyone by disciplining her.

"Justice is irrelevant," Subutai said dismissively, "the man deserves to die, yes, but as it stands the quincy failed. What is out of our control now is pointless to dwell on."  
He was blunt and direct, as he always had been; a bit too blunt for Bambietta.

"It's _him_," she said, her voice trembling, "Your majesty, let me go in there!" She demanded furiously, raising a fist. "One of our own kind is stranded in there, while that... that... that _thing_ goes berserk! Let me in there, and I will end him, and I'll-"

"Save the quincy you never met?" Subutai said dryly. "Do not pretend as if your intentions are noble, paladin."

"You shut up!" Bambietta snapped. Haschwalth took a breath; that was insubordinate even for her. Thankfully, Subutai just shot him a look, which to Haschwalth meant _deal with it, or I will_. Haschwalth sighed.

"Paladin Bambietta..."

"Grand Master Haschwalth."  
The voice that rumbled out, quietly yet impossible to ignore, was that of his sworn lord, King Ywach himself.

"My liege?" Haschwalth said quickly, hoping His Majesty had not taken offence.

"Tell me, what are the five Quincy Virtues of the Vanden?"

His tone was neutral. The question seemed simple, ridiculously so; it was a creed they were all passionately familiar with. But to think the king would ask stupid questions would be to underestimate him, and to underestimate him would be to make a fool of oneself. Haschwalth stood up.

"Pride, in our strength and fortitude, that we may remember our purpose. Justice, for those who will have none without us. Humility, before our liege Lord, our powers and the universe itself. Mercy, that we may raise our blades and think not of who we shall slay, but who we shall spare. Selflessness, for we are servants, not rulers. Those are the five virtues of the Knightly Vanden Order. That is to us what the five-edged quincy cross symbolizes."

"So it is," his majesty said, nodding approvingly. "Paladin Basterbine."

"Y-yes, your majesty?" Bambietta said, seeming to have snapped out of her fit.

"I do not begrudge you your reaction. I do not hold your failures against you. We are all human, and we all have our shortcomings. We all know what that man did to you."

"Kept me in a lab," Bambietta said, gritting her teeth. "Doing... experiments. Like a living hell."

"So he did," the king said, nodding sagely, "and in due time, he shall reap what he hath sown. But I ask you, paladin- can you in all honesty say you are at this time proud, just, humble, merciful and selfless?"

Bambietta's fists clenched a bit tighter, before loosening, her arms hanging limp by her side.

"No, your majesty," she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper.

The king nodded. "Then what are you?"

"I..."

Toward anyone else, even Subutai, who lacked Haschwalth's tolerance for her antics, she might have replied with something witty, or cutting, or rude. But not to His Majesty, the king, liege lord of the Vanden Knights and last of the great quincy lords. He commanded respect, even from the rowdiest among them.  
"I am letting my emotions get the best of me. I am deeply sorry, your majesty."

She nearly choked on her words, and Haschwalth didn't envy her. Even though His Majesty had not gone out of his way to humiliate her, it was nevertheless hard for her to admit to such a thing, particularly in front of so many of her peers.

King Ywach made a dismissive gesture with his hand, as if all of it had been nothing.  
"You are forgiven, Paladin."

"Thank you, your majesty. You are kind and gracious." She said the words quickly.

"Rest assured, justice will come their way. The time of the Vanden draws near, and when the bell doth toll, there will be retribution. Not revenge, for that is not justice, but retribution. Monsters such as he will face death, and our cause will be fully realized. Soon... but not yet. That is why you cannot go. Even if you were to succeed, you could easily be surrounded and chased down. You might reveal our presence to the world. Imagine if after all this time, you would be captured, only to be returned to the place from which you only narrowly escaped?"

Bambietta grit her teeth. "I said I was sorry, your majesty..."

"I am not chastising you, Paladin," he said mildly. "Your passion befits you as a member of our order. However, as this may be upsetting to you, perhaps you would be more comfortable leaving the table?"

Bambietta hesitated for a bit, then shook her head, a small grin crossing her face.  
"Nah. That piece of shit ain't having an easy time. Maybe she'll just kick hiss ass."

"She appears outmatched, though," Haschwalth commented, glad to have the situation behind them and eager to shift attention elsewhere.

"I would not be so hasty," The king said. "Let's just wait and see..."

* * *

Lisanna had immediately moved back, knowing that whatever his bankai was, it would be something nasty. The speed granted to her by the full use of her shikai had taken her some forty yards back, where she stood waiting on a rooftop, catching her breath.  
The thing was hideous. It looked like an enormous caterpillar, with the face of an infant, made all the more grotesque by its golden colour. A halo of sorts extended from its back, and Lisanna could see its reiatsu, glowing a malignant red. The captain had the same glow, standing in front of it, cackling triumphantly. The creature was much too large for the street it had been summoned too, and had already trampled half a building underfoot.

"What are you waiting for, hmm?" Kurotsuchi said cheerily. "Where is that spirit of yours, _vice-captain?_"

Cautiously, Lisanna jumped down to street level, and slowly walked toward the bankai, her senses all on edge. She stopped some ten yards in front of him, letting the length of her claws defiantly crackle with energy.

"So there is some courage left in you, then?" Kurotsuchi said, tilting his head. "I will enjoy taking it from you."

"You idiot, there are people living here," Lisanna said darkly. "Is some specimen worth so much trouble that you'll kill dozens, maybe hundreds?"

"Their deaths will be on your conscience, you little fool," Kurotsuchi said dismissively. "If you care so much about them, why would you start this fight in the first place?"

"You will not be getting away with this, not with attacking another captain's division! This area belongs to ninth-"

"Konjiki Ashizogi Jizou!" Kurotsuchi snarled, pointing at Lisanna. The creature, hideous and unnerving, let out an all too human shriek, raised its head, and from its mouth it spewed a rapidly expanding cloud of green gas.

Lisanna was already moving when it raised its head, dashing from one rooftop to the next. The cloud expanded rapidly, covering the street and the entire nearby area, and she was glad to have gotten away safely. Whatever it was, it was bound to be deadly.

"The toxin is based on my blood," Kurotsuchi said, walking toward her, his bankai following behind him. "Touching it is certain death."  
He was gloating, Lisanna realized, sure of his victory now. Good. As the poison gas began to dissipate, she jumped forward, claws raised, aiming for Kurotsuchi's head.

"Again, you dull beast!" The captain snarled, and the bankai shrieked, breathing out its gas.

"Arashi no kaze!" Lisanna cried out. It was a simple ability, meant to do little more than disrupt an enemy, but in this case the burst of air would be more than a little useful. A strong wind manifested alongside her as she charged, blowing the gas away.

"Damn it..." Kurotsuchi muttered as she closed the distance, claws raised. All she needed was a second, they both knew it. Quickly, he retreated, jumping back toward his bankai. Lisanna cursed, and halted her charge- there was too much risk, charging right into the range of a bankai. She jumped back, taking a few deep breaths.  
This was madness. She was tiring already; her zanpakutou was quite unruly, and using it fully took power and focus, more than she had to keep going too long. Hell, even with it fully mastered... it was still madness to take on a bankai with only shikai. The power difference was always going to be too great, and that was without considering the wiliness and malice of a man like Kurotsuchi.

There was nothing for it.

"You think you have won, Kurotsuchi Mayuri?" She called out defiantly.

"I make a point not to state the obvious," he said dryly.

"Then let me reveal something to you, before your victory," she said darkly. She let her reiatsu surge to its peak level, winds circulating around her like a tornado. "I may be just a vice-captain... but out of all the vice-captains, I am the single most powerful."

"Defiance is meaningless, no matter how heroic you may think it," Kurotsuchi said, sounding bored. "Konjiki Ashizogi Jizou, forward."

"I wasn't kidding!" Lisanna said loudly as the caterpillar-like creature began to move. "Bankai! Arashiraijin Kaminari Hebi!"

There was a discharge of power, immense and trembling its release all across the Gotei, and the monstrous creature paused for just a second. Strong winds flew about, pieces of street rock and wooden debris from nearby buildings, torn to shreds from the power radiating from the vice-captain, flying all around. He couldn't even see her properly throughout the elemental mayhem.

"It can't be..." Mayuri sneered. "Nothing in my files indicate she is even close to that level!"

"I guess you just don't know everything, then?" Lisanna said confidently.

Kurotsuchi grit his teeth, and was about to retort, but suddenly something surged forward- a flash of blue lightning striking his bankai in the front, causing it to reel back, shrieking in pain. The flash continued up into the sky, and Kurotsuchi could see it now, taking the shape of a massive serpent, no smaller than fifty yards long, twice again as thick as he was tall. Magnificent wings sprouted from somewhere beneath its head, and the feathers and scales both gleamed magnificently with all the colours of the rainbow, ever shifting, while still retaining the blue glow of a lightning bolt. It opened its maw, revealing a frightening set of pointed teeth, and let out its forked tongue as if to taste the world itself. It looked around, staring down at Kurotsuchi as if he were an ant, then lazily turned its head toward its master, diving back at her with immense speed. Quite unbelievably, the creature didn't crash into the ground, somehow ignoring its momentum and landing smoothly, wrapping itself around her master, its coils forming a protective wall. Lisanna soon climbed up, and Kurotsuchi could see it now- a saddle, mounted in between its wings and head. There was no sword in her hand, but a rod, golden and glowing with power.

"B-bankai..." he stuttered. "You think that will save you?"

"Actually, yes," Lisanna said flatly. The serpent raised its head high, flapped its wings, and as if carried by magic- because there was no way those wings, no matter how magnificent, could carry a body that size on their own- it rose into the air. Circling high over Kurotsuchi, there was a constant flow of electric energy, and the captain braced himself. What would he do? There was plenty of kido that could aid him, but as he had no data on this thing, he couldn't be sure what would work best- and likely, its power would shrug off most if not all low-to-mid level kido.  
He had no time to contemplate it further, though. Lisanna raised the glowing rod, and cried,

"Dai-kaminari arashi!"

There was an enormous discharge of power, and from the bankai a storm of electricity descended, dozens, hundreds of lightning bolts rained down on Kurotsuchi and his bankai, only very few veering off their course.  
Just the one bolt didn't hurt him much; its power was not _that_ great. However, the unrelenting hail of lightning, his inability to shield himself, or take cover, or escape, soon meant that the attack began to take its toll. Kurotsuchi screamed with pain, his senses finally awakened from the relentless assault, as lightning coursed though his bankai and his body.

He was given but a few seconds to recover before Lisanna gently flew down, hovering some fifteen yards above street level, looking down on the captain.  
"Surrender," she said flatly. "Your bankai is a poor fit for mine."

"You bitch!" Kurotsuchi screamed. "You bitch, I'll see you killed for this!"

"I'll take that as a 'no', then," she said dryly. "There really is only one way to deal with a mad dog..."

She held the rod out to the side, and it extended both ways, glowing with yellow electricity. Two metal points had extended, one from either side, the tip facing Kurotsuchi being sharp and perhaps half a foot long. Held together by raw electric energy, it formed a lance, some fifteen feet long. Lisanna reared her serpent forward, aiming her weapon well, surging toward the captain with speed.

"Konjiki Ashizogi Jizou!" Kurotsuchi cried desperately, and the bankai reacted, drawing in a breath to unleash its poison.

"It is useless!" Lisanna cried, and a strong gust of wind blew toward the caterpillar, stopping its gas before it could even discharge. Kurotsuchi's time was up, and he did not even have time to brace himself before Lisanna slammed into him, lance-tip first. She could feel it as it hit his midsection dead on, piercing through his guts, and she channeled all the energy she dared into this one strike. The discharge of power was blinding, enormous, and a second later, she had cleaved right through both the captain and his bankai like a white-hot knife through butter.  
She let her serpent slide to a halt, and turned to face the captain, just in time to see Konjiki Ashizogi Jizou wail and shatter, no longer able to sustain itself. As the dust settled, Lisanna jumped out of the saddle, rod still in hand, the serpent following closely behind her as she approached Kurotsuchi. He wasn't readily visible, but before long she could see him. He was a mess; around him there was a mixture of ash and blood, most of the captain having been turned into a fine paste where he hadn't been turned into ash from the heat. His body was mostly destroyed; only half of his torso, his left arm and his head was still intact. He was breathing raggedly.

"Damn it... damn it... damn it..." he panted, desperately digging into his coat- or what remained of it- with his one hand.

"So you lived, huh?" Lisanna remarked matter-of-factly. It was tempting to end him, here and now, but that would be going a bit far... she was supposed to keep quiet, after all, and killing him would make things worse. That, and killing somebody who could not fight back... even after all these years, there were things she'd rather not do.

"I'll re-remember this, you..." Kurotsuchi wheezed. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, and his hand trembled as he finally fished something out from a pocket. It appeared to be some sort of syringe. He fumbled for a bit, missing his target several times before finally managing to jam it into his own neck, pushing its content into what remained of his body.

"I'll remember this, too," Lisanna said coolly, letting her bankai dissolve, sealing her zanpakutou fully. "And if you feel so keen on revenge, I'll be waiting. In the meantime... I think I have one or two complaints to make about attempted murder, endangering shinigami lives, and more than likely causing a fair number of friendly fire casualties."

He glared at her, a sickening grin on his face. To her surprise, he began to melt, turning quickly into a puddle of green goo. For a second she stood on edge, wondering if it was some sort of final trick, but the liquid began to creep away, like some despicable centipede.

"I'll be seeing you again..." His voice called out, sounding hollow. "When I do, I'll have something special for you and your bankai."

Lisanna shook her head, and watched him disappear. She took a few deep breaths, just relaxing herself. Her bankai had nothing if not raw power, but the energy it took to maintain it was proportional to that, and it had taken a lot out of her to use it even for this short a duration. She had gained it the hard way, like a shinigami should, but she was a far cry from the effortless skill of her seniors, and she knew it.  
She sighed, and walked toward where she had left the quincy. A quick sensing was all she needed to know that he was still there. Well... at least she'd have something to show for all this.

* * *

**Glossary**

**Raijin: Lighting God**

**arashi raijin: storm Lightning god**

**kaminarihebi: thunder serpent**

**Dai-kaminari arashi!="great thunder storm"**

**And thats a wrap folks! Plenty of unexpected moments abound in this chapter! **

**For the longest time, I've wanted Lisanna to have more to do in this story, but i couldn't seem to find a way that would have meshed well in previous chapters. I used her when I could, but I didn't want to force it. HERE however, I decided that she would get a majority of the focus. **

**I ALWAYS planned on her having a bankai the moment I had her in this story. Using Mayuri was the best choice and opportunity for it I believe. Lisanna in this story has a "power level" more akin to the likes of Tousen or Toshiro. Speed is her greatest asset, as well as Hakuda. She's not as fast as Soifon, but make no mistake, she IS strong.**

**Also for those of you wondering about how the shikai works, i simply used the same method that Kubo did for Yumichika. (Using the full zanpaktou name for a different power) It DOES has some basis in cannon, so no, its not something i did just for this story. **

**However, I'm sure some of you may be a bit...Upset that Uryu wasn't the one to take down Mayuri. Well, I do have a reason for that. To explain, here's Greatkingrat88.**

**"Now, in Canon, this was Uryu's time to shine. Why did we leave him out? Well, don't you worry- this will come back; it's not forgotten and he's not being ignored. In Canon, the rather forced "look at this photo of a dead subject I carry around that just happens to be your grandfather" debacle was the result of editorial mandates- originally, Kurotsuchi was supposed to be a long-running antagonist for Uryu, but Kubo got screwed on that front... and so many others. We won't ignore this, and we'll do it properly at a later time, and it will end up being a crucial piece of information in a later arc."**

**Exactly. It all, in retrospective felt a bit...forced in Cannon. Not bad mind you, but in the end...What did it REALLY do? Other than Make Uryu lose his powers, nothing. Here, we'll STILL use it...but in a more creative way.**

**And yes, Bambietta WAS captured by the 12th division at some point in her life, and went under some horrible experiments. I wont go into detail as to what kind, just know that it was...bad. In fact, I actually foreshadowed this in the story already...Twice in fact. I plan on doing a lot with this revelation, and Bambietta as a character. Expect to see much more of her down the road. (What can I say? I love her. XD) **

**I also figured it was time to see the knights of vanden once more. I feel its better to slowly build them up than have them appear out of nowhere. Expand their lore and culture, as well as their characters.**

**Oh, and Yes, Im not quite done with Rangiku just yet. What? Thought id just have her along for the ride till Kenpachi showed up? No way. I feel that there is alot more I can do with her character. What that is however, you'll need to wait and see to find out.**

**But that's just about everything I wanted to talk about. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as we did. Please, feel free to leave comments as to what you thought in a review. We're SO close to 800, I want to see if we can get past that number in reviews. With your help, I know we can.**


End file.
